• Akiva, Daniel
• Almagor, Gideon
• Alyagon, Talma
• Amiras, Isaac
• Avidom, Menachem
• Bach, J.S. 
• Barnekow, Deborah
• Bar-Niv, Rami
• Bitkin, Ze'ev
• Blass, Noa
• Borodin, Alexander
• Brahms, Johannes
• Braun, Yehezkel
• Burdick, Huntington
• Cohen, Shimon
• Damian, Michael
• Da-Oz, Ram
• Dorfman, Yosef
• Engel, Yehuda
• Freidlin, Jan
• Galay, Daniel
• Gardner, Gary
• Ghertzovici, Adia
• Graziani, Yitzhak
• Hacken, Emanuel
• Hadar, Yosef
• Halpern, Eddie
• Handel, G.F. 
• Hans, Edith
• Haran, Ron
• Hardin, Burton
• Harlap, Aharon
• Hartmann, Yossi
• Heifetz, Eli
• Heiman, Nachum
• Holdheim, Theodore
• Hoss, Wendell
• Ingalls, Albert "Mickey"
• Israel, Robert
• Jochsberger, Tzipora
• Joffe, Zvi
• Johnson, Roger
• Junger, Erwin
• Kan, Shimon
• Kedmi, Eitan
• Kling, Yaakov
• Kogan, Lev
• Kroitor, Emil
• Lahav, Naftali
• LoPresti, Ronald
• Maayani, Ami
• Marcello, B. 
• Mark, Sonia
• Mayer, Rudolf
• Mindel, Meir
• Mishori, Yaacov
• Moscovitsch, Martin
• Nachmias, Sergiu
• Neta, Yoav
• Nini, Achinoam
• Oppenheimer, Yehuda
• Ori, David
• Oshrat, Kobi
• Paykin, Hirsch
• Presser, William
• Quantz, J.J. 
• Reinhardt, Bruno
• Rigai, Amiram
• Rooth, Laszlo
• Rufeisen, Arie
• San, Aris
• Schatzman, Poldi
• Schweitzer, Bruria
• Sha'ar, Levy
• Shem-Tov, Moshe
• Shlonsky, Verdina
• Shohat, Gil
• Smorgansky, Dina
• Stern, Max
• Stutschewsky, Joachim
• Talmi, Yaacov
• Telemann, G.P. 
• Wachtel, Levi
• Wasserman-Margolis, Eva
• Weiser, A.
• Wessell, Mark
• Wilder, Alec
• Yassenchak, Michael
• Yoffe, Shlomo
• Zamir, Dov
• Zimra, Arnon
• Zori, Zvi
• Zucker, Yosef

• Daniel Akiva, Guitarist and composer
• Michèle Gingras, Clarinetist
• Arkady Goldenshtein, Clarinetist
• Kobi Hagoel, Middle Eastern percussionist and composer
• Max Stern, Contrabassist and composer
• The Jerusalem Lyric Trio
• Eva Wasserman-Margolis , Clarinetist
• Eli Heifetz , Clarinetist
• Meir Rimon, Hornist

Jan Freidlin, composer

Jan Freidlin was born in Chita (southern Siberia) in 1944. He grew up in Odessa, Ukraine, where he lived until moving to Israel in 1990. He studied at the Odessa Music College (1959-1963) and at the Odessa State Conservatory (piano and composition, 1965-1971). From 1974-1990 he taught in the Odessa Stolyarsky Special Music College, where he was head of the Music Theory Department. In 1990 Freidlin emmigrated in Israel, where he served on the faculty of the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv from 1990-1993. Since 1991 he has been a member of the faculty of the Levinsky College of Music in Tel Aviv. He was a member of the USSR Composers Union (1975-1990), and is currently a member of ACUM. Jan Freidlin's music has been performed around the world, and he was received many prizes. His "Ancient Greece Album" and ballet music "Guernica" have been broadcast many times on Russian television. "Spring Games" was performed throughout the former Soviet Union by the Odessa Symphony Orchestra during the 1983-1984 season. His "Cello Concerto" has been performed by cellist Michael Haran and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. Freidlin's chamber music works have been performed in Germany, Italy, France, Australia, Brazil, England, and the United States. Among prizes he has received are the Grand Prix of the Warna Cinema Festival (Bulgaria) for his music to the movie "The Summer has Begun" (1978), the ACUM Prize (Israel) for his "Miscenscenes," sonata for violin and cello (1993), the Liberson Prize (Israel) for his "Piano Trio No. 2" (1995), and second prize in the Guitar Federation of America Contest (Claremont, California, USA) for "Letters from Arles" for guitar (1995). In May 1998 his "Trio No. 2" represented Israel at the International Radio Broadcasting Rostrum, where it received much praise and was broadcast in a number of European countries.

Yitzhak Graziani, composer and arranger

Yitzhak Graziani was born in Bulgaria in 1924. He is a graduate of the Music Academy in Sofia. He immigrated to Israel with his family in 1948. Soon after his arrival in Israel he was invited to play trumpet in the Israel Defence Force (IDF) Band, in which he played until his release from the army in 1952. During the next ten years he continued to write and arrange music for the IDF Band while on reserve duty. He directed numerous musical productions in the theaters, opera, and for many of Israel's leading folk and popular singers, and also served as musical director for programs of the Israel Broadcast Authority, including the Israel Song Festival and Childrens' Song Festival. Since 1962 he has been the chief conductor of the IDF Band, and has been invited to serve as guest conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony, and of the Olympia Theatre in Paris. Over his long career, Yitzhak Graziani has arranged over 1000 Israeli songs and compositions for band, and has composed music for a number of theatrical productions and motion pictures.

Kobi Hagoel, Middle Eastern percussionist, composer

Kobi Hagoel was born in Israel in 1962. A darbuka player from childhood, Kobi learned from listening and meeting senior musicians from different origins, among them the late Yaacov Morad, and Yosef Yaacov Shem-Tov. He studied zarb with Yaacov Lev-Sameah. In 1986 he completed acting studies, and began to appear as an actor. In 1996, music became his major occupation. Hagoel is a teacher and researcher, and plays percussion and sings in the band "Kav Hatefer/Seam Line," which he established and for whom he composes, in the "East-West Ensemble," the "Esfahan Ensemble" (classical and folk Persian music) , and "Jasmin's Magic Nights," a dance show . He has performed with many musicians, including Yair Dalal (Israel), Sheva (Israel), Raanana Symphony, Yehudit Tamir, Menashe Sasson, Morris al Madyuni (Algeria/France), Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Turkey/U.S.A.), Givan Gasparyan (Armenia), Hisham abu Mayeteq (Jordan), and appeared in the documentary musical journey "The Way of the Darbuka" on Israel's Channel 2. Kobi Hagoel has designed an aluminum-cast darbuka with a better tone and a larger range than other models. Find out more at http://www.pentagramweb.com Visit Kobi's internet site at: http://www.kobihagoel.com.

Nachum Heiman, composer

Nachum Heiman is one of Israel's most beloved composers of popular songs. A product of the first Nachal (Army) Song Troupe (Lahakat hanachal), he is a graduate of the Rubin Conservatory in Jerusalem. During his early years he was a member of Kibbutz Beit Alpha, and founded the well-known Gevatron choir. He has dedicated much of his time to the development of Chavurot Zemer (amateur singing societies), of which there are about 600 in Israel now. His best known songs include "Hofim," "Re-ach Tapuach Odem Shani," "Anita v'Huan," "Hanitzanim yir-U Ba'aretz," "Eretz Sheva Minim," "K'mo Tzemach Bar," and "Shuvi Bat Yerushalayim." Nachum Heiman has received much recognition as a composer of music for films, and received several nominations for oscars this past year from the Israeli Film Academy. He has worked with many of our country's leading singers, and during the 15 years that he spent in Paris and London his songs were performed by some of the top singers in Europe. His new book, Fifty Years of Song and Stories , tells the story of his career and work with many artists alongside the music and words for 108 songs. The double-CD K'mo Tsemach Bar presents 49 songs from the book as performed by some of Israel's best singers.

Robert Israel , composer, was born in Berlin, Germany and immigrated to Israel in 1933. A graduate of the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Rubin Academies, he studied with Rudolph Bergman, Yitzhak Edel, Solomon Rosowsky, Oedoen Partos and Mordecai Seter. He served for 21 years as principal violist of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Israel taught violin, viola, and theory at the Gardos Music Conservatory in Hadera.

Lev Kogan was born in the USSR in 1927. He attended the Moscow State Conservatory between 1946-1952 where he studied piano and was a composition student of Aram Khachaturian. Kogan was awarded the title "Honored Artist" by the Soviet goverment. He settled in Israel in 1972. He has devoted much time to the research, creation and performance of Jewish music. His compositions include many works for ballet, opera, musicals, film and television as well as 250 Yiddish songs. In Israel, he has created many productions for the Yiddish theater and programs of Chassidic and Yiddish music.

Emil Kroitor was born in Moldova in 1947. He studied in musical schools from childhood, and completed his musical education at the Kishenev University of the Arts, specializing in accordion and the conducting of folk orchestras. Well-known as a composer, virtuoso accordionist and arranger in his native country, he immigrated to Israel in 1993. Kroitor has taken part in many international folk festivals in Canada, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, France, and other countries. His versatile music output includes compositions and arrangements in a number of different styles, including Moldavian, Balkan and Jewish. His strong attraction to folk music is an inheritance from his father, who was a singer of Jewish songs. In Israel he performs frequently as a klezmer musician, and has recorded with many well-known Israeli artists.

 
Gil Shohat , composer

A native of Israel, Gil Shohat studied piano from age seven, and performed for the first time in public at age fourteen in Tel Aviv. He graduated from the Israeli Conservatory of Music where he studied piano with Rachel Feinstein, and holds bachelor's and master's degrees with honors from the Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv where he studied with Arie Vardi. Concurrently he studied composition with Andre Haidu. He continued his studies in piano and composition at the Academy of St. Cecelia in Rome with Azio Corghi, and also studied with Ivan Vandor and Luciano Berio. He completed his studies in Cambridge, England with Alexander Goehr.

At the age of 27, Gil Shohat has written two operas, five symphonies, seven concertos, two oratorios, and numerous other compositions for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and piano solo. All of his compositions have been performed (and continue to be performed) by orchestras and soloists of world stature.

Shohat serves as the Composer-in-Residence of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and of the Israel Symphony-Rishon Lezion, and teaches composition at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, Israel.
 

Michèle Gingras, clarinetist

Michèle Gingras, Professor of Clarinet at Miami University (Ohio, USA) since 1986, has performed numerous klezmer recitals at venues such as Indiana University, Universities of Denver and Oklahoma, Cornell University, World JamFest in Cincinnati, the Berklee Performance Center, and the International Clarinet Association Conference in Belgium. She has been a Visiting Artist at the Luxembourg Conservatory, the Oslo Music Academy (Norway), the Elder Conservatorium (Australia), Indiana University (Bloomington), and taught numerous master classes worldwide. Ms. Gingras was named Hays Crossen Curry Distinguished Educator at Miami University in 2002. She is a Rico International Artist and Past-Secretary of the International Clarinet Association. Her book, Clarinet Secrets: 52 Performance Strategies for the Advanced Clarinetist, was published by Scarecrow Press in 2004. Her CD, Klezmer's Greatest Hits, may be ordered by e-mail, gingram@muohio.edu.

Arkady Goldenshtein was born in Mogilev-Podolsk on the border of Ukraine and Moldova in 1963 and has lived in Israel since 1990. Goldenshtein has played klezmer on the clarinet since childhood, and performed regularly in affairs of the Jewish community during the Communist era, which was in those days a somewhat risky venture. He has participated in many festivals in Israel and abroad, and has toured in England and Germany. His ensembles have been awarded prizes at the Safed and Raanana Klezmer Festivals in Israel. He currently conducts the Haifa Klezmer Orchestra, and teaches clarinet in conservatories and in the public school system.

Eli Heifetz, clarinetist

Eli Heifetz, principal clarinetist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra since 1965, has appeared in Israel, Europe and the United States as soloist under the baton of Bertini, Berio, Nelson, Inbal, Barshai and Commissiona. He is an active chamber player and founded the Camerata Trio (clarinet, cello and piano) in 1980. In addition to Heifetz Plays Baroque listed above, he has recorded Heifetz Plays Schubert, and works by Israeli composers for clarinet and string quartet. At present, Eli Heifetz teaches at the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv. The Heifetz Collection, published by OR-TAV, includes 6 selections from the Baroque period which Mr. Heifetz has arranged for clarinet. The works are recorded by Eli Heifetz and Idit Zvi under the title Heifetz Plays Baroque , ITM 95004
 

Eva Wasserman Margolis, clarinetist

Born on the island of Key West, Florida. Eva Wasserman Margolis began to play clarinet at thirteen. After finishing her Masters' Degree in 1980 at the University of Illinois, she secured the position of Principal Clarinet with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra. In 1998, Eva founded Trio Resonance (clarinet, cello and piano), a performing group dedicated to performances of lesser known works for small audiences. 

Currently serving as the Principal Instructor at the Givatayim Conservatory and at the Music Center in Tel Aviv, Eva initiated and organized the first Israeli International Clarinet Festival in 1998. Her main goal has been to bring many concerts of famous clarinetists and exhibitors from abroad. She serves as the National Chairperson for the International Clarinet Association in Israel, and was the first clarinetist to represent Israel at the International Clarinet Festival "Clarinetfest" held in 1999 in Belgium. 

Eva Wasserman Margolis has been invited as a performer and/or clinician to Festivals, camps, conferences and masterclasses in the USA, Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal, Odessa and Finland. She has many students studying abroad and one of them was the youngest player to be invited to perform at Eurocass' first conference in 1997.

OR-TAV Music Publications has published her music and books: Learning Clarinet the Artistic Way , the first clarinet method to be published in Hebrew, and Time for Tone , published in five languages, are based on her premise that young clarinetists must develop a fine tone technique from the very beginning. Her work for solo clarinet, The Generation Of Hope , has now been arranged for A clarinet and string orchestra by Anatoly Davidenko, and will soon to be available as a rental score. Her future publications will include a new method book and solo clarinet piece.

"Eva Wasserman-Margolis has quickly established herself as a superb teacher and forward thinking pedagogue, both inside Israel and abroad. Her young students in the Tel-Aviv area are some of the finest performers in this age group, anywhere in the world." 

Howard Klug, Professor of Clarinet, Indiana University School of Music