At what age did you begin playing a musical instrument?
I started playing the violin when I was 6 years old. My grandfather was a musician and one day bought me a toy violin. After playing with that toy I asked to study the violin, and by a total coincidence, one floor above my grandfather lived a quite well-known violin teacher in Haifa, and I started studying with him.
At what age did you understand that you wish to pursue a musical career?
I grew up in Haifa and in junior high I moved to an art school. After being exposed to other students in the music department I’ve realized I was a pretty good player. Later on in high school, being more mature and with the help and support from my teachers (which also encouraged me to do a crucial step – studying with THE viola teacher of Tel Aviv, Lilach Levanon), I realized this is my path.
Name an unforgettable moment with the IPO
I remember my first tour with the orchestra to South America in 2013. I have always known that Zubin Mehta is a giant, but there was one specific moment which I saw it from close.
The last concert of the tour was an outdoor concert in Chile in front of thousands of people in which we played many waltzes and polkas. There was some confusion and after finishing playing the program we got off stage, but the audience didn’t realize the concert was over, and was completely shocked. A few minutes after “the end” of the concert, some people started yelling “go back on stage NOW”. We had a couple encores to play. We got on stage again, got settled down, and then Zubin showed up. With great nonchalance he walked straight to the microphone of the principal cellist, bent over, grabbed it and said “HELLLOOOO”. The audience went nuts as if he was a legendary rock star. He spoke to them in Spanish and after a couple sentences the atmosphere has completely transformed, the audience was cheering us and we started playing again. It’s hard to describe that feeling in words, but I will never forget it.
Which kind of music would we find on your playlist?
In our home playlist there is of course a lot of classical music, but also Jazz, Israeli, Rap, Fado and many other genres. As a teenager I grew up on mostly Punk rock, Metal and Techno. However, these days our home’s highlights are children’s songs, since my first son was born in February 2020 ☺
What is the special significance of the IPO to you/Why did you want to be part of the IPO?
For me the orchestra is a dream that came true. Already in high school I knew I’m going to play in the IPO. Better say, I put that as a target in my mind since a young age, and when I was 20 years old (during my army service as an Outstanding Musician), I was accepted to the IPO and my dream came true. Since then, the orchestra became a home, a place where I can make music with friends on the highest level. A place which is turning me into a better musician, but mostly makes me want to be better. After all, we owe it to the prestigious name of the IPO.
Did you acquire any new skills during the pandemic?
The main skill I have gained in the past year is being a dad. As I’ve mentioned, my son Adam was born right before the Corona arrived to Israel, and due to the shutdown of the arts industry, I and my wife Avital (a musician as well, principal violist of the Kibbutzs Chamber Orchestra) became full-time parents with a very little amount of support due to the new regulations. However there’s no doubt that we gained a tremendous gift which not many people are lucky enough to get, and that is being with my son 24/7 and seeing every single moment of him growing and developing as a baby.
I’d like to share also a link of Meet the Musician I’ve participated in not a while ago:
John Porter Chair
Back to top
