Yakov Yavno

Jewish music and dance | Barynya Entertainment booking agency | contact information

Acclaimed actor-singer YAKOV YAVNO (ru: Яков Явно) is an iconic figure and one of the greatest performers to emigrate from the former Soviet Union. Yakov Yavno’s performances are always a REVELATION! He embodies the tragedy and triumph of Russia’s Jews, who have been continually persecuted, uprooted and resettled. With his powerfully resonant yet caressing bass-baritone, he creates bridges between cultures, championing the indelible spirit of his ancestors with sold-out shows in Israel, Russia, Australia, and throughout Europe, the Far East and the Americas.

Familiarly known as Yaya, Yavno was born in Minsk, Belarus, into a musical family and received his formal education at the famous Gnesin Academy of Music. Later, he became a leading actor at the acclaimed Jewish Musical Chamber Theater in Moscow.

When he moved to the U.S. in 1990, Yakov began touring the world on a regular basis and singing in venues that range in size from small cabaret-style halls to sold-out stadiums.

Yavno has been featured in the National Opera House of Tel Aviv and the Jerusalem Convention Centre in Israel, the Bolshoi Theater, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. He has appeared in assorted theatrical works with Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Reeve, and Raul Julia, among others. Yavno is often heard on radio and seen on TV, and has recorded three albums – Let’s get together, Shadows of Forgotten Voices, and Bridge Over Time.

Yakov Yavno: video promo

Yakov Yavno: "Hava Nagila" video

Yakov Yavno: "Go Down Moses" video

Yakov Yavno: "Letter To My Friend" video

Yakov Yavno: "Timeless Melody" video

Yakov Yavno: "Papirosn" video

Yakov Yavno: "Loneliness" video

Yakov Yavno: "You Are Grand (Ba Mir Bistu Shein)" video

Yakov Yavno: "Tumbalalaika" video

Yakov Yavno photos

Yakov Yavno sound track