<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8472" src="http://ipoold.local/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/אסף-מעוז.jpg" alt="Asaf Maoz" width="750" height="440" />Born in Israel in 1979, Asaf Maoz is a graduate of the Talma Yellin School of the Arts, the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv,  and the Rostock Hochschule für Musik, Germany, where he studied with such eminent teachers as Ahuva Driblat, Simon Yerushevich, Ora Shiran and Axel Wilczok.

He regularly appears in festivals, such as Apple hill “Playing for Peace”, Verbier in Switzerland, Jerusalem International Chamber Music, Festival de Bellerive in Switzerland and Music in the Desert Festival, Sde Boker, Israel. He was a member of the “Capital dance orchestra” that plays mainly swing music.

Asaf Maoz served in the IDF as a distinguished musician. He has won several competitions and scholarships from the America-Israel Foundation, Yehudi Menuhin’s “Live Music Now” and the Fundación Barenboim-Said.

During 2004-2013 he resided in Berlin where he was a member of the “Komische Oper Berlin” (Asisstant concertmaster), the “Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin” (concertmaster and principal 2nd violin), the “Tel Aviv Soloists ensemble” and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (concertmaster and principal 2nd violin). He has been a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Maestro Daniel Barenboim 2000-2012 (Principal 2nd violin). In 2006-2007 he has served as Principal 2nd violin in the German “Bielefelder Philharmoniker”.

Since October 2013 he is a member of the Israel Philharmonic orchestra. In his leisure time he enjoys playing tennis, chess, listen to music and walks along the beach.

Sharon Cohen, member of the First Violin section of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been a long time member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, directed by Daniel Barenboim, where she leads the second violin section.

Her work with the WEDO has also included chamber music appearances at prestigious international festivals, including Salzburg, the BBC Proms and Rolandsek in Germany. She also represents the IPO in chamber concerts in Tel Aviv and around the world.

A founding member of A Far Cry, a leading chamber orchestra in the USA, she also spearheaded its education team. Her recordings include four albums with A Far Cry along with a solo appearance on its first album Debut, and many recordings with the West Eastern Divan Orchestra.

She completed her master’s degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston and her undergraduate studies at The Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance. This is her first appearance as soloist with the IPO.

Watch an interview with Sharon <a href="http://members.ipo.co.il/en/interviews/36"><strong>here</strong></a>

Ilya Konovalov was born to a musical family in Novosibirsk (USSR) in 1977. At the age of 7 he commenced his studies with Prof. Zakhar Bron and later with Prof. Alexey Gvozdev in Novosibirsk. During this time he was a prize winner in the All-Russian and Wieniawski International Violin Competition. He later studied with Prof. Dora Schwarzberg at the Vienna Academy of Music.

Ilya has perfomed all over Russia and Europe and in Brazil, Indonesia,Korea and Japan. He has appeared with prestigious orchestras such as the "Moscow Virtuosi", the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra,the Israel Sinfonieta Beer-Sheva, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra "Musica Viva" , the Saint Petersburg State Capella Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow State Symphony, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, the American-Russian Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductors such as Vladimir Spivakov, Hugh Wolf, Zubin Mehta and Yoel Levi. He played chamber music with many prominent artists, among them Alexnder Rudin, Yuri Bashmet, Rudolf Buchbinder, Lynn Harell , Arkady Zenziper, Dora Schwarzberg, Steven Isserlis, Misha Maisky etc.

For the past 10 years he has been participating many prestigious festivals such as: "Young Artists in Concert", Festival in Davos Switzerland, "Schubertiaden" Music Festival in Germany, Haifa Music Festival and " Dreiklang" Festival in Gemany. Ilya Konovalov has recorded two CD’s for Melodiya label in Russia and the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra under Arnold Katz. Since 1997 he has been Concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta.

Ilya Konovalov is the 1st violinist of the Israel Philharmonic String Quartet  wich was found in 2006 by the the request of Maestro Mehta and supported by the Richter family.

Since 2006 Ilya Konovalov teaching violin and chamber music at the Buchmann – Mehta School of Music at the Tel Aviv University.