Itamar Hildesheim tenor
Itamar Hildesheim, born in 2000, began singing at the age of 6 with the “Moran Choir”. Itamar graduated from “Thelma Yellin” High School where he studied in the classical music department. In this capacity, he participated in the choir and as a soloist under Maestro Yishai Steckler. In the years 2016-2018, he studied in the annual program for outstanding singers at the Jerusalem Music Center “Mishkenot Sha'ananim”. Itamar won the status of an exceptional musician in the IDF and from October 2018 till June 2022, he studied his Bachelor's at the Jerusalem Academy of Music in the class of Jeffrey Francis and Dr. Ido Ariel. In July 2019, he participated in the production of the Opera "Acis and Galatea" by Handel in the International Opera Workshop at the Tel-Aviv "Stricker" Conservatory. In the concert season of 2019-2020, Itamar performed as a soloist in the concert series 'Rising Stars' of the NKO Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Guy Braunstein and performed with the ”Moran Ensemble”in a series of concerts with the Camerata Orchestra conducted by Maestro Tim Brown. Itamar performs regularly as a soloist with Ensemble PHOENIX under the conducting of Maestra Myrna Herzog and “Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra” under the conducting of Maestro David Shemer. In season 2022 he performed as a soloist with “Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra” the “St, Matthew Passion” conducted by Maestro Philippe Pierlot. He recently studied with Prof. Klaus Häger and Prof. Karola Theill at Academy of music Rostock, Germany, as a part of a student’s exchange program.
He had Master-Classes with Dorothea Röschmann, Thomas Heyer and Peter Sefcik. In winter February 2023, Itamar participated in the “Saline royal Academy” in France under the guidance of Antoie Palloc.
Itamar is a recipient of the “Israeli American Culture Foundation” Scholarship for the years 2018-2019 and 2020-2021 and “Keren Ronen” for the Year 2021
Monica Schwartz soprano
Monica Schwartz, soprano
Born in Romania, is a graduate of the "Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem", "Faculty of Performing Arts".
Monica is a member of Ensemble PHOENIX since 2021, and performs often as soloist with different orchestrals such as the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, the Beer Sheva Israel Sinfonietta Orchestra, the Ramat Gan Symphony Orchestra, the Netanya Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra etc.
In addition, is regularly invited to perform at the official event of Romania's National Day organized by the Romanian Embassy in Israel (2015-2019, 2022).
Monica is a member of the Lyric Opera Studio, where her repertoire includes, among others, the roles of Queen of the Night from the opera Magic Flute (W. A Mozart), Despina from Così fan tutte (W. A Mozart), Rosina from The Barber of Seville (G. Rossini), Lischen from the Cafe Cantata (J. S Bach), and Morgana from the opera Alcina (G. F Handel) .
Liron Givoni soprano
Liron Givoni graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in 2020. She participates both as a soloist and ensemble singer in productions of The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble PHOENIX, Barrocade Ensemble, The Israeli Vocal Ensemble, Nari Baroque Ensemble, and more.
Her operatic repertoire includes Rachel and Rivka (JAMD, 2019, Imahot /D. Sebba), Clorinda (JBO, 2020, Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda), Serpetta (JAMD, 2020, La Finta Giardiniera) and Zerlina (Ensemble OrQuesta, 2022, Don Giovanni). She will also perform the role of Morgana in Handel’s Alcina at Jerusalem Lyric Opera Summer Festival this year (2023).
She is a founding member and soloist of the Nari Baroque Ensemble founded in 2019. The Ensemble performs all over Israel, including the 2021 Felicia Blumenthal Festival, Jerusalem Music Center, Haifa Baroque Studio, and more.
Liron is a recipient of the Ronen Foundation scholarship (2022-23).
As a musician and entrepreneur, Liron collaborates with young artists such as herself to take part and create original performances. In 2019-2021 she created an educational children's play “Voice & Strings” and performed it alongside the mandolin player Roi Dayan for all elementary schools in the city of Be’er Sheva, Israel. In 2022-23 she will participate in an original production in Tel Aviv, “The Origin of the World”, enabling an interactive experience combining different artistic mediums.
Liron participated in master classes with Chen Reiss, Yuval Zorn, Daniel Cohen, Christophe Rousset, Kenneth Weiss, Corina Marti, Ammiel Bushakevitz, and David Shemer..
Yonathan Suissa countertenor
Yonathan Suissa was born in Paris. He graduated from the Israel Conservatory of Music in piano and harpsichord and from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University as a singer, in Opera. He received a Sharet Foundation scholarship in harpsichord and singing.
Yonathan has participated in various festivals, recitals, productions and master classes and he sang as a soloist with various Baroque ensembles and orchestras.
In the field of opera, he sang the role of Tamino from the magic flute at YMCA, Jerusalem (2021), the role of Acis from Acis and Galatea at the Buchman-Metha School of Music, Tel Aviv University (2022), The role of Box in Cox and Box By A.Sullivan with the Israel Chamber Orchestra Ramat-Gan under the direction of Maestro Aviv Ron. Yonathan is intended to sing the role of Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream by B.Britten at the IVAI Tel-Aviv Summer Opera Program in July 2023.
He is a member of Ensemble PHOENIX since 2021.
Oshri Segev tenor
Oshri Segev has begun his artistic path as a pianist graduating with excellence from the Buchmann – Mehta School of Music of the Tel-Aviv University in 2010. While majoring in piano, he has started singing under the guidance of Ms. Marina Levit and Dr. Ido Ariel at the Rubin Academy of Music of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem where he graduated at 2014. He has been working closely with the renowned tenor Nicola Tagger in Milano, Italy.
Oshri has sung with all the leading vocal groups in Israel under the batons of Avner Itay, Myrna Herzog, Ronen Borshevsky, Stanley Sperber, Yishay Steckler, Danny Etinger, Asher Fisch, Roberto Abbado, Kurt Masur and Zubin Mehta.
Past performances include premieres of the works by the forgotten Sicilian baroque composer Michelangelo Falvetti "Il Diluvio Universale" and "Nabucco" (in the title role). Monteverdi's "L'incoronzione di Poppea" (Nerone), Mozart's "Don Giovanni" (Don Ottavio), Rossini's "Pettite mese sollennelle" and "the Barber of Seville" (conte Almaviva).
Oshri has participated in the productions of Mozart's "The magic Flute" (Tamino), Rossini's "La Cenerentola" (Ramiro) and Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'amore" (Nemorino) with the Israeli Opera Young Artist group.
He has been recipient of scholarships of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation and the Ronen Foundation.
Liat Lidor Soprano
Liat Lidor was born in Israel in 1989. She studied music at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music of the Tel Aviv University.
Her repertoire includes the soprano solo in Orff 's "Carmina Burana" conducted by Yoav Talmi with the Israel chamber Orchestra and with the Buchman-Mehta Orchestra conducted by Ronen Borshevsky; Adele of Johan Strauss' "Die Fledermaus", Najade of Richard Strauss'"Ariadne auf Naxos" conducted by Yi-an Xu. She also sang the soprano solo from Haydn's Missa Brevis with the Orchestra of the Tel Aviv Buchmann- Mehta Music Academy conducted by Netta Spigel.
Liat joined Ensemble PHOENIX for the first time in 2013, when she participated in the Baroque opera "La Purpura de la Rosa" conducted by Myrna Herzog, performing as Selfa and as first nymph.
She is a recipient of the Israel-America Cultural Foundation scholarships for the year 2012-2015.
Jake Halperin tenor
Jake Halperin studied vocal Performance with Ms. Marina Levitt at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He has previously studied Composition with Ittai Rosenbaum.
Jake performs regularly with the New Israeli Vocal Ensemble and the Jerusalem Music Academy Chamber Choir, and appears as a soloist with various choirs and orchestras in Israel and abroad. Jake sings with Thalamus, as well as with the Retro barbershop quartet.
He is a member of VOCE PHOENIX, the vocal branch of Ensemble PHOENIX, with whom he has recorded The Zapotec Mass, soon to be launched.
Einat Aronstein soprano
Einat was born in Israel. She served as an Excellent Musician at the IDF.
As a soloist Einat has performed in several roles with the Israeli Opera including Orit in The Little Magic Flute (Mozart), the Shepard Boy in Tosca (Puccini), Hansel in Hansel und Gretel (Humperdinck), the child in Half a Moon Tale (Michael Shenhav) – a role which was created especially for her, and knabe in Die Zauberflote (Mozart). She also performed Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne (Mozart) in an Israeli Opera production within the Magical Sounds series. Einat has also performed as soloist in numerous Israeli Opera concerts all over Israel.
Einat has performed as a soloist with several local orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra "Rishon LeZion", the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra among others in a wide repertoire including the solo part in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Requiem, The "Zbigniew Preisner" Requiem and the Requiem by Faure. She performed with conductors such as Maestro Zubin Mehta, Dan Ettinger, Yishai Steckler, David Sebba, Stanley Sperber, Mendi Rodan, Gabor Hollerung, Eitan Globerson, Ori Leshman, Malcolm Singer, Doron Salomon and others. She performed in several concerts with Prof. Arie Vardi.
At the "Cameri" Theatre she performed the role of the Girl in A Rat Laughs (Ella Sheriff), as the young child in Badenheim 1939 and as the daughter of Alexander Penn in Was it a Dream.
Last year she sang in two opera productions at the Israeli opera: “the Child Dreams” (Gil Shohat), conductor: David Stern, and the roll Hadara in the opera “Flying Lessons” (Ella Milch-Sheriff), production of the New Israeli Opera and the Cameri Theatre in Tel-Aviv.
Einat is currently studying at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel-Aviv University in the class of Efrat Ben-Nun. Recently she won the first prize in the school’s vocal competition. She received the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship for 2008-2011.
A few months ago, Einat sang with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music Symphony Orchestra in a Gala Concert conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta, and also sang the role of Valencienne in Die lustige Witwe (Lehár) with the opera ensemble of the school.
Einat is a member of Voce PHOENIX.
Karin Shifrin Mezzo Soprano
Karin Shifrin is one of the leading classical singers in Israel. She is a classical cross-over singer, performing Baroque music, Opera, Lied and Oratorio, as well as musical theater, Jazz, Israeli, ethnique and contemporary music. She has been repeatedly praised for her remarkable musical characteristics, brilliant acting and broad repertoire, as well as her versatile interpretation of contemporary work.
Among her international performances its worthwhile to single out: "The Marriage of Figaro" (Marcellina) and Beethoven's 9th Symphony (Mezzo Soprano Soloist) with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta; recitals in Germany, Britain and Scotland; "Concert for peace" – a duo concert with a Palestinian singer at the “Il Violino Magico" festival in Venice, Italy; "Concert For Life And Peace" in Rome, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, with the Orchestra Del Teatro Comunale di Bolognia conducted by Shlomo Mintz; concerts in Poland in commemoration of the Holocaust victims conducted by Omer Welber; Der Komponist (R. Strauss "Ariadne auf Naxos") and Arabella (R. Strauss “Arabella”) in Sigriswil, Bern and Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, conducted by Andsreas Kowalewitz; Rosina (G. Rossini) with the national symphony Orchestra of Kazakhstan conducted by Vag Papian. She obtained "The Hildegard Zadek Stiftung" (Austria), "AICF" (Israel) and “Opernwerkstatt Verena Keller ” (Germany) scholarships for outstanding vocal, musical and creative achievements.
Her debut the Israeli opera was at the age of 24, since then she performs at Israel's national theater "Habima", in theaters and concert halls worldwide.
A graduate (B.Mus. with honors) at the Buchmann-Mehta Music Academy at the Tel- Aviv University, Karin Shifrin is the owner of K.S studio in the Tel -Aviv area, where she gives vocal workshops and private voice lessons for every age and in every musical genre. She is also a vocal mentor at the Jonathan Wohl academy of Music, as well as in the Ramat-Gan Conservatory.
Michal Okon soprano
Known as well for her performances in the Early Music field Ms. Okon has appeared as a soloist with acclaimed artists and conductors with orchestras and ensembles in Israel, Europe and the United States. She performed the solo role of Pasiphae in Conradi’s production “Ariadne” at the Amherst music festival in the U.S.; in Lully’s opera production “Les fetes de l’amour et de Bacchus”; in the Perigord music festival in France and in concerts with ensemble "Orion” in Spain. Additionally she performed at the ‘Flanders’ festival in Antwerp and the ‘Westwoche’ in Innsbruck, Germany.
In Israel, Ms. Okon has performed in all the major Israeli Festivals. She has appeared with numerous Israeli orchestras, baroque orchestras and ensembles. She is a long standing member of Ensemble PHOENIX and VOCE PHOENIX.
With her special interest in Israeli music repertoire, Ms. Okon has worked with Israeli composer Oded Zehavi and has been included in recordings of several of his works. She has performs in programs such as “A light in your window” and the “Jewish Cabaret” in collaboration with the “Atar” Trio as well, recently returning from a successful concert tour in Austria in the summer of 2011.
Ms. Okon completed her Vocal Performance degree at the Jerusalem Rubin academy where she won the academy award of the baroque competition (2002). She obtained a B.Mus in Musicology from the Tel-Aviv University.
In addition, Ms. Okon completed her vocal studies participating in international master classes in Israel, Europe and the U.S. She participated regularly at the ‘Ivai’ opera workshops in Tel-Aviv and the Jerusalem Early Music workshops.
Ms. Okon is the winner of the ‘America-Israel cultural foundation’ scholarship for 1998-2006 and was a recipient of the ‘Spedidam’ scholarship in France. She has done several recordings for the National radio and television programs. Ms. Okon is regularly invited to give a master class for choral singers and perform in France. Her performances vary with repertoire ranging from Early Music to contemporary music.
Hadas Faran-Asia soprano
Considered among the prominent singers in Israel, Hadas began her singing training at the age of 7 in the “Moran Choir” conducted by Naomi Faran. Hadas completed her B.Mus with distinction at the Buchman-Mehta School of Music in the Tel Aviv University, and her Master’s degree at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
In 2012 she reached the final of the Handel Singing Competition, London. She was a recipient of the IVIA scholarship (2009) and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation (2007-2008), and an award winner of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance German Lieder Competition (2009).
Since her orchestral debut at 19 with the Haifa Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Stanly Sperber, Hadas has performed regularly with some of the leading orchestras and conductors in Israel and abroad.
Her operatic repertoire includes the parts of: contessa from "Le Nozze de Figaro" , Donna Elvira from "Don Giovani", Ilia from "Idomeneo"/Mozart, Euridice from “Orfeo & Euridice”/ Gluck, Cleopatra from “Julius Caesar” / Handel, Susel from “L’amico Fritz”/ Mascagni, Marie from “Le Fille des Regimes”/ Donizzeti, Marenka from “The Bartered Braid”/ Smetana, Rusalka from "Rusalka"/Dvorak.
In the baroque field, Hadas has sung as soloist with the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, is a member of Voce PHOENIX and has been the lead soprano of "The Israeli Bach Soloists" since 2008.
Guy Pelc baritone
Born in 1992 in Israel, Guy studied music in the “Thelma Yellin” High school, and served in the IDF as an “outstanding msusician”. Today he studies voice with Marina Levit and Ido Ariel, and orchestral conducting with Ronen Borshevsky in the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
He has performed several opera roles such as: Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas by Purcell, Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles by Bizet, Otton in L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi, and Apollo in Orfeo by Monteverdi, which was recorded with Andrew Parrot and the Taverner Consort and Players under “Avie” label.
Guy has sung with many Israeli orchestras and baroque ensembles such as: Jerusalem Camerata, Rishon LeZion Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Netanya Kibbuz Orchestra, Jerusalem Baroque orchestra, Ensemble PHOENIX, Barrocade ensemble and more, and is being supported by the America Israel foundation (2008-2013), IVAI, Ronen foundation and the Buchman Heyman Foundation.
Assaf Benraf bass
Assaf Benraf was born in Bat Yam in 1982. He studied violin with Yaakov Milman for ten years and later viola with Lilach Levanon. Concurrently he played/sang in the Giviatayim conservatory chamber orchestra and the Thelma Yellin High School of Arts’ symphony orchestra and choir, graduating with distinction in 2000.
He began vocal studies with Tamar Rachum at the age of 17. He continued his musical studies with Miriam Meltzer and Agnes Massini at the Rubin Academy of Music and with Roberto Coviello at the International Academy of Music in Milan. During his studies he sang as soloist in Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” and a number of operatic roles: Sarastro in a children’s production of “The Magic Flute” with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Geronte in “Manon Lescaut”, Kecal in “the bartered bride” and the title role of “Don Pasquale”.
Assaf has participated in masterclasses with Nancy Argenta and John Norris, the latter at the international opera summer program in Tel-Aviv.
Assaf received a Scholarship from the America-Israel culture foundation for 2002-2003.
Recently he has sung with “Philarmonia singers”. Currently he is conductor and music arranger of “Dorot” choir and lecturer on classical music at “HaKathedra Ha’amamit” Besides classical music, Assaf specializes in Neapolitan music and language.
He is a member of Voce PHOENIX.
Alon Harari countertenor
Alon Harari was born in Israel. He graduated from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at the Tel Aviv University. His wide repertoire includes Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) at the Lithuanian National Opera, Zephyrus in Apollo and Hyacinthus (Mozart) in Stuttgart, Eustazio in Rinaldo (Handel) in Munster, Tolomeo in Gulio Cesare in Egitto (Handel) in Dortmund and in Helsinki, as well as in Ottone (Handel) in Halle.
He performed in most Israeli festivals and gave recitals in London, Glasgow and Vilnius. He performed in many concerts in Israel including with the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, the Jerusalem Camerata, the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, and many others. He has also performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and the Baroque Werk Hamburg. He has received the AICF scholarships.
He was an associate member of the Israeli Opera's Opera Studio and participated as soloist in numerous concerts of the Israeli Opera all over Israel. At the Israeli Opera he performed Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) and later this season will appear in the staged production of Carmina Burana (Orff) at Masada.
Alon Harari recorded the opera Apollo et Haycinthus by Mozart with the conductor Nicol Matt for Brilliant Classics in Stuttgart in 2006. He has received scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation as well as the Colton Foundation and won a special prize as The Most Promising Young Artist at the Hilde Zadek International Competition in Vienna. He recently sang with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, IBA.
He sings often as soloist with Ensemble PHOENIX , in operas such as La Purpura de la Rosa (the role of Marte), in big projects of Italian and Latin-American Baroque music, and chamber concerts of virtuoso music. He has participated in PHOENIX's Israeli premiere of Falvetti's oratorio Il Diluvio Universale, in an unforgetable performance in the role of Death.
Macarena Lopez Lavin soprano
A native of Santiago, Chile, Macarena received her Bachelor of Music from Mannes College of Music as a scholarship student and her Master's in Voice Performance from CUNY Queens College in New York City.
A frequent recitalist, Ms. Lopez Lavin has been heard in venues throughout NY City: Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Spanish Institute, the New School’s Tishman Auditorium, and the Goethe Institut. Aside from solo recitals, Ms. Lopez Lavin has performed Mozart’s “Exsultate Jubilate” with the Queens College Orchestra and Mahler’s “Symphony No.4” with the Queens Philharmonia Orchestra. She has also given recitals in Chile and Germany. In Israel she has performed in the Abu Gosh Festival, International Spring Festival Rishon LeZion, Yehiam and with the Ra’anana Symphonette. Macarena is a member of Ensemble PHOENIX, having participated in many concerts and programs, among them, Convivencia ( on the fascinating encounter between Christianity, Judaism and Islam in Golden Age Iberia), which has been running now for 8 years.
She has participated in various master classes with renowned artists such as Paul Sperry, John Norris, Deborah Birnbaum and Ann Baltz. She currently resides in Israel.
Anne-Marieke Evers mezzo-soprano
The Dutch mezzo soprano Anne Marieke Evers studied at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. She concentrated afterwards on music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Basel – Switzerland). She futhered her vocal studies with Mariette Witteveen (NL) and Elizabeth Daniels (USA).
In Basel she founded the ensemble Grand Desir with recorder player Anita Orme Della- Marta. This ensemble, that specializes in late medieval and contemporary music, made its debut at the Early Music Festival Utrecht, The Netherlands. They performed in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, France, UK, Switzerland and at Melbourne Early Music Festival (Australia). In July 2009 they won the Friends Prize at the York Early Music Competition. Later that year they released their first CD Danse et Chanson and were invited in the concert serie Network Early Music Utrecht (NL). (www.granddesir.com).
Anne-Marieke is a sought after solist for oratorio repertoire: Bach’s Passions and Magnificat, C.P.E. Bach, Saint Saens, Vivaldi, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Strawinsky.
She sang in opera productions such as Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell in the title role and in L’Enfant et les Sortileges by Maurice Ravel (Tasse Chinoise). She also has a comprehensive Liederrepertoire, inclusive composers as Poulenc (Le Travail du Peintre), Berio (Sequenza III) and Schoenberg (Pierrot Lunaire).
In the USA she was invited as a solist to sing with the Washington Bach Consort (J. Reilly Lewis) and with Bach Sinfonia (Daniel Abraham).
In 2010 Bach Sinfonia released a CD with all motets of J.S. Bach with Anne-Marieke as the alto soloist. In Washington National Cathedral she sang in a solo performance of Bach’s Matthew Passion with 10 singers conducted by Michael McCarthy.
She designed a family concert around an exhibition City Scapes -Dutch cities in the 17th century commissioned by the National Gallery of Art Washington DC, featuring 17th Dutch music. Another family concert was requested around the exhibition on the works of the Dutch painter Gabriel Metsu. where she performed together with the Texas Childrens Choir.
In 2016 she made her debut with the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra (David Shemer, musical director) in a St. Matthew Passion in Jerusalem with 8 singers under the baton of Joshua Rifkin.
In the season 2016-2017, engagements include recitals & oratorio in Israel, the Netherlands and Germany and the role of Arioco in the world premiere of the complete oratorio Nabucco by Michelangelo Falvetti in charge of Myrna Herzog and PHOENIX at the 50th Abu Gosh Festival in October 2016.
www.annemariekeevers.com
Yuval Oren Soprano
Born 1993 in Haifa, Israel, Yuval is graduate of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance's vocal department, where she studied in the classes of Mrs. Efrat Ben-Nun and Dr. Zvi Zemel. Yuval enlisted to the IDF with the status of Outstanding Musician - given only to a few recruits each year, where she had a chance to preform nationally and internationally (including singing for various Jewish congregations and organizations in the US) as part of her regular service.
Yuval participated in various master-classes, including the international IVAI Opera Workshop, where she had a chance to study with Chen Reiss, John Norris, Thomas Michal Allen, Stanley Sperber, Yonni Rechter, Abbie Furmansky, Mira Zakai, Zehava Gal and others.
She has performed as a soloist in concerts and productions across Israel and abroad. Her operatic repertoire includes, among others, Barbarina in “Le nozze di Figaro” (Mozart), Voadice in “Giulio Sabino” (Sarti), Yemima in “Dan HaShomer” (Lavry) – the first opera written in the Hebrew language (Oren participating in its first perfromance in 70 years), Clorinde in “La Jolie Parfumeuse” (Offenbach) and others. Her concert repertoire includes, among others, “Johannes Passion” (Bach), “Exsultate, jubilate” (Mozart), “Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Mendelssohn), which she performed with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, “Come ye sons of art” (Purcell) and motets by Monteverdi which she performed with the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, and others.
In the summer of 2016, Yuval was a semi-finalist in the Antonio Pietro Cesti International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera at the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, and is one of the singers chosen to participate in the festival’s 2017 young artist program. Oren also won the first prize of the Ada Brodsky Competition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Shel is a laureate of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation's excellence scholarship for classical singing 2014-2017.
Yair Polishook Baritone
Yair Polishook was born in Israel. He holds a B.Mus from the Jerusalem Academy of music and dance, Israel, as well as a Master's degree from Trinity-Laban College of music and dance, London.
Polishook sings in concerts across Israel and Europe in a Repertoire spanning from the Renaissance and the Baroque to contemporary compositions. His operatic repertoire includes Don Giovanni and Leporello (Don Giovanni), Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Papageno (die Zauberflute) by Mozart, Falke (die Fledermaus by Strauss), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas by Purcell), Gil (il Segreto di Susanna by Wolf-Ferrari) among others.
His oratorical repertoire includes the Matthew Passion and the great Mass by Bach, Stradella's “San Giovanni Battista”, Beethoven's ninth symphony, Verdi's Requiem, Fauré's Requiem, Brahms' Requiem and more.
Polishook has sung with the leading orchestras and choirs in Israel and Europe, among them – Les Talens Lyriques, France, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Le'zion, the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, the Israel Camerata Jerusalem and the Israeli Opera House.
Polishook has had the privilege to work with renowned conductors such as Maestri Helmuth Rilling, Roberto Abbado, Christophe Rousset, Andrew Parrott, Matthew Halls and Saleem Abboud-Ashkar. In the Israeli opera house productions, with Maestri Frédéric Chaslin, Omer Wellber, Daniel Cohen and David Stern to name a few.
Polishook has appeared in numerous Music Festivals, both in Israel and in Europe, including the Biennale di Venezia (with Meitar ensemble of contemporary music, 2014) Music Fest Perugia ('le Nozze di Figaro'), the Abu-Gosh Festival, the Israel Music Festival and others.
During 2009-2013 Polishook was a member of the Israeli Bach Soloists ensemble, conducted by Sharon Rozner who was also the musical manager.
During 2013-2015 Polishook was a member of Meitar Opera studio of the Israeli opera house where he has sang the roles of Leporello (Don Giovanni) and Guglielmo (Cosi fan Tutte) by Mozart, Frank (die Fledermaus by Strauss) and Peter (Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck) among others.
Alongside his singing career, Polishook completed his undergraduate studies for conducting with maestro Avner Biron and the late maestro Mendi Rodan.
As a conductor he performed Dido and Aeneas by Purcell with Black Robin Opera Company in The Rosemary Branch Theatre, London and in Israel worked with Symphonette Ra'anana chamber orchestra.
Polishook received twice the Eli Leon scholarship as a member of the Meitar Opera Studio and is a Leverhulme Trust Scholar for Trinity College of Music in London 2011/2012. He has also been granted the Sharet foundation and the Ronen foundation scholarships in the past.
Tal Ganor Soprano
Tal Ganor was born in Tel Aviv. She graduated from the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts and the Buchmann- Mehta School of music in Tel Aviv University, where she won first prize at the 2011 vocal competition.
In 2012 she won the Aviv Competitions, The Michal Oren Prize for Voice and The Meira Geyra Audience Choice Prize.
Tal is a former member of the Israeli Opera's Meitar Opera Studio, where she appeared as Monica in The Medium (Menotti), Pamina and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte and Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel. At the Israeli Opera she performed Papagena in the community production of Die Zauberflöte.
Most recently Tal was invited to participate in the Académie du Festival d’Aix-en-Provence where she covered several roles in the new production of Francesco Cavalli's Erismena directed by Jean Bellorini and conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón.
2017 / 2018 sees debuts at the Israeli Opera as Dido in Dido & Aeneas, Tebaldo and Voce dal cielo in Don Carlo, Händel’s Messiah with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Nicholas McGegan and Aldimira in Cavalli’s Erismena as part of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence european tour.
Recent engagements include Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and Yoni Rechter’s new opera for children “Ma’ase beshlosha egozim” with the Israel Philharmonic.
Among other roles she appeared as Amore in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck), Dejanira in La Lotta d’Ercole con Acheloo (Steffani), Drusilla and Amore in L’Incoronazione di Poppea, all at the Festival della Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca, Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore at Opera in Williamsburg, Belinda in Dido & Aeneas at Abu Gosh Festival, Despina in Così fan Tutte at the Buchmann- Mehta School of music.
Her concert performances include the soprano roles in Gloria RV589 (Vivaldi) and Dixit Dominus (Händel) with Barrocade ensemble, Membra Jesu Nostri (Buxtehude) and Ismaele in Agar et Ismaele (Scarlatti) with the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra and Benedictus Dominus in Re (Fago) at the Festival della Valle d’Itria.
Ms. Ganor has worked with conductors such as Leonardo García Alarcón, Sergio Alapont, Daniel Cohen, Antonio Greco, Matthew Halls, Andres Mustonen, Paul Nadler, Sesto Quatrini, David Sebba, David Shemer, Yishai Steckler and Noam Zur.
She attended the Belcanto Academy Rodolfo Celletti in Martina Franca and the IVAI opera programs in Virginia and in Tel Aviv.
She has been awarded scholarships by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, the Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, Eli Leon and the Martina Franca Rotary Club.
David Feldman countertenor
Israeli countertenor David Feldman is a 2017 Grammy nominee, in the best classical vocal album category.
David graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and went on to study further at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland.
He has performed with various international ensembles such as La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, Vox Luminis, Profeti della Quinta, Ludovice Ensemble and Musica Temprana, and has sung on some of the most prestigious stages including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, the Oude Muziek Festival Utrecht, Festival de Musique Baroque d'Ambronay and Händel Festspiele Göttingen.
In addition, Feldman has performed in numerous radio and television productions and has recorded for Pan Classics, Linn Records and Deutsche Grammophon.
David has participated in PHOENIX's legendary production of the medieval opera The Play of Daniel, in the role of King Belshazzar.
Ron Silberstein tenor
Born in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, Ron graduated with excellence in music from the Yigal Alon High-School of the Arts as a jazz trombone player. He quickly established himself as a professional trombone player, playing with many local and international jazz and pop musicians in some of Israel's biggest venues.
Ron studied classical singing at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and proceeded to a M.Mus program in collaboration with the Israeli Opera's "Meiter Opera Studio". Ron has performed with the Israeli Opera and in opera festivals like the Maifestpiele in Wiesbaden, as well as with numerous orchestras including the Berliner Symphoniker, the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, the Israeli Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and others.
The operatic roles he performed include Rodolfo in "La bohème" (Puccini), Tamino in "Die Zauberflöte", Idamante in "Idomeneo", Conte Belfiore in "La finta giardiniera", Belmonte in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' (Mozart), the title role in "Dido and Aeneas" (Purcell), Oronte in "Alcina" (Händel), Beppe in "Pagliacci" (Leoncavallo), and others. His chamber and oratorio repertoire includes "The Messiah", the title role in "Judas Maccabaeus" (Händel), Magnificat in D Major (Bach), "Petite messe solennelle" (Rossini), "Die schöne Müllerin" (Schubert), "Dichterliebe" (Schumann), and many others.
Recently Ron has participated in the debut recording of Antal Doráti's "Der Künder", conducted by Prof. Martin Fischer-Dieskau for Naxos Records, along with Tomasz Konicenzny, Rachel Frenkel and KS Michael Schade.
