Rebekah is a passionate chamber musician and a multi-award winning creative force in the Canadian music scene. She is the founder and leader of Payadora Tango Ensemble which won the German world music prize in 2024 (Weltmusikpreis Ruth award) and performed in the famous world music festival, Rudolstadt in July where they received the award. In 2023-2024, Payadora toured Hungary, Spain and Denmark, Brazil, Argentina and throughout North America. She is also co-founder of Schmaltz & Pepper, the new hit Yiddish ensemble selling out musical festivals such as Toronto Summer Music and headlining the biggest Yiddish music festival in the North America, Ashkenaz. She is a member of the Venuti String Quartet which will be releasing their debut album in March 2025. .

Rebekah Wolkstein’s creative output has led to multiple composing and recording grants through Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. She directs and writes multi-disciplinary projects such as The Legend of Carau, a feature for Payadora. She has performed and toured extensively with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The National Ballet of Canada, The Canadian Opera Company. Her own ensembles are mainstays in classical music series and have sold out shows and for Toronto Summer Music, Music and Beyond, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music, Indian River Music Festival, Leith Festival, London’s Grand Theatre, Music in the Morning in Vancouver, Vancouver Island Music Festival and National Arts Centre.

An active studio musician, Rebekah is also at home playing in the styles of Folk, Klezmer, Pop, Latin, and Jazz and can be heard on numerous JUNO-winning recordings including new releases by Donovan Woods, Laila Biali, Royal Wood and Justin Gray.  

Rebekah holds a Doctorate in Violin Performance from the University of Toronto as well as degrees in violin from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She enjoys performing on her hardanger fiddle, a beautiful and resonant nine-string Norwegian instrument.