The Musicians
The Israel Camerata Jerusalem
Music Director and Conductor : Avner Biron
First Violin
-
Matan Dagan *
Matan Dagan began his violin studies with Nava Milo, Ora Shiran and Irena Svetlova. After his military service as an Outstanding Musician, he went to study at the Berlin University of Arts. Matan graduated his bachelor's degree with honors.
During the decade from 2002 to 2012 he served as the leading violinist of the Oriol Ensemble in Berlin and in the Kammerakademie orchestra of Potsdam.
In recent years, Matan moved most of his life back to Israel. He became the first violinist of the Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble and participated as a guest soloist with the Israeli Chamber Project.
At the beginning of 2013 Matan Dagan joined the Israel Camerata Jerusalem as the Principal Violinst.
-
Natasha Sher *
Natasha Sher moved to Israel from Moscow in 1990, and since then appeared as soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Israel Camerata Jerusalem, Israel Chamber Orchestra and others, as well as with various chamber ensembles throughout the country and abroad, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Japan.
Natasha graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, studying with Prof. Maya Glizarova and Prof. Yuri Gandelsman. She is a founding member of “Erato” String Trio.
Today Natasha serves as the orchestra's Principal Violinst.
-
Carmela Leiman **
Carmela Leiman was born in Lithuania and immigrated to Israel in 1972. She studied and completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees with honors at the Tel Aviv Music Academy under Felix Andrievski, Ilona Feher and Yair Kless. As a member of the “Gertler Quartet” she has performed in the U.S.A, Spain, England, France and Germany. In the recent years Carmela took part in many chamber music productions in Israel, as well as the recording of three albums: Israeli Clarinet Quintets with Eli Heifetz, and two CDs dedicated to the music of the Theresienstadt concentration camp. As of 1990 she is the Associate Principal violinist of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
-
Michael Pavia
-
Roman Yusupov
Violinist Roman Yusupov was born in 1966 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (former USSR). He acquired his musical education at the Tchaikovsky Music Academy in Moscow and after immigrating to Israel, in 1990, at the Tel Aviv University Music Academy. Since immigrating to Israel Roman played with "Olim"-Symphony Orchestra and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. In 2005 he joined the Camerata.
-
Polina Groshikova
Polina Groshikova was born in St. Petersburg in 1997 and began playing the violin at the
age of 7 in class of Varvara Ovchinnikova. She recorded her first CD as a soloist with
Vasiliev Ostrov Chamber Orchetsra at the age of fourteen.
In 2015 she continued her studies with Prof. Alf Richard Kraggerud and Prof. Henning
Kraggerud at the Barratt Due Music Institute in Oslo, Norway. During this time Polina was a
substitute member of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Norwegian Chamber
Orchestra.
After moving to Israel in 2018 Polina joined the class of Prof. Dora Schwarzberg at the
Buchman-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv where she completed her Bachelor and Artist
Diploma degrees.
While her studies in Israel she was fortunate to lead the Buchmann-Mehta symphony
orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta and Lahav Shani. Polina was a member of the
“Gertler" quartet and won the chamber music competition at the BMSM. Polina is a
substitute member of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
and others. During the season of 2021-2022 Polina served as the Assistant Concertmaster
of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and joined the Israel Camerata Jerusalem in October 2022.
-
Piotr Bobrovsky
Petr Bobrovsky was born in 1980 in Moscow in a family of rich musical traditions. He began studying violin at the age of 5 at the Central School of Music under Galina Turchaninova, and graduated in 2003 from Tchaikovsky Conservatoire (Fedotov and Kravchenko). Petr played with Russian National Philharmonic Orchestra (Vladimir Spivakov) and State Academic Symphony Orchestra (Evgeny Svetlanov). He has moved in 2022 to Israel and right away joined the Israel Camerata.
Second Violin
-
Eduard Reznik *
Eduard Reznik was born in Kishinev, Moldova, in 1969. After immigrating to Israel in 1998, he studied at the Tel Aviv music Academy under Prof. Semion Yaroshevich. In 2005, after 10 years of performing with the Israel Sinfonietta Be’er-Sheva, Eddie began playing with the Israel Camerata Jerusalem for his love of Baroque music and high-quality standards of music making. Eddie is married and a father of three boys. He enjoys Jazz, Cooking and Basketball.
-
Galina Korinets *
Galina Korinets was born in Ukraine in 1994. in age 6 years old Galina start playing ,First teacher was her mother Olga Korinets and later on she continued her studies with Olga Rivnyak in Kyiv special music school and already in 2002 Galina participed in first competition the international contest "The quest for talents", Slovakia and than were many more IX international competition Michael Stracharzh,V international competition "Silver Bell", Classic Meridian Competition,and many more later.
In 2012 she continued her studies with Taras Yaropud at Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine.
Since 2014 worked in orchestra Kyiv Soloist Chamber Orchestra first violin, and later Kyiv Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra first Violin 2015-2017.
Galina performed as a soloist with National Philharmonic orchestra of Ukraine and also Lviv Philharmonic orchestra.
In 2017 moved to Israel she continued her studies at Buchmann-Mehta school of music with Janna Gandelman,
Galina recived full schoolarship while her studies . She also joined many times Jerusalem Symphony orchestra as a substitute and Israel Philarmonic orchestra as a substitute.
After she finished her studies in 2019 Galina got a permanent position in Israel Camerata Jerusalem orchestra . Also Galina is often participating in different music Festivals in Europe and USA .
Galina took masterclasses with many violin players and teachers like Renaud Capucon , Leonidas Kavakos,Matis Vaitsner, Christian Altenburger ,Dora Schwarzberg, Deborah Nemtanu, Oleh Krysa, Christian Tetzlaff and others . -
Hadas Fabrikant **
-
Omri Tzach
Omri Tzach was born in Georgia in 1957. At the age of 7 he began his violin studies under Prof. Eliashvilli. After his studies, Omri served as Principal violinist at the Georgian National Symphony Orchestra. For one season he studied under Prof. Mark Lubotsky at the Hamburg Academy and worked at the Academia Hamburg Chamber Orchestra.In 1992 he immigrated to Israel and began working at the Camerata. At the same time, he played chamber music in various trio and quartet ensembles and as a sub at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
-
Michael Kontsevich
Violinist Michael Kontsevich was born in 1952 in Kharkov, Ukraine (former USSR). He acquired his musical education at the Music Academy in his hometown. Michael played in the Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras of Kharkov, yet in 1989 decided that it was time to move to Israel. Michael joined the Israel Camerata's second violin section. Michael also serves as the administrative manager of the orchestra.
-
Smadar Schidlowsky
Smadar grew up in Berlin, Germany, where she also started playing the violin. Studying music and violin brought her to the State University of Music Stuttgart, the Guildhall School of Music London and the University of Music Frankfurt. For her musical developement she gained support of various scholarships and foundations like Yehudi Menuhin „Live Music Now“ Stuttgart and the Baden-Württemberg Stipendium. Smadar did her internship in the Frankfurter Opern- and Museumsorchester and afterwards completed her studies with the insights into the “baroque violin”. She took part in concerts, tours and festivals throughout Europe with the Freiburger Barockorchester and the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble. Since 2015 Smadar lives in Israel where she continues to play with baroque ensembles like the Israeli Baroque Collective Barrocade, the french ensemble Pygmalion at the festival Aix-en-Provence and others. In 2019 Smadar joined the 2nd violin section of the Jerusalem Camerata. Trio Obligato she founded in 2018 and its purpose is to connect different music styles in its performances.
-
Keren Shoshani
Keren Shoshani moved to Israel in 1999. She studied in the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where she graduated her Master's degree under Hagai Shaham.
Keren takes part in various festivals and won first prize for chamber music in the Jerusalem Academy, as well as the America-Israel Cultural Foundation grants. Since 2008 she is a member of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
Viola
-
Marta Sikora
Marta Sikora was born in 1994 in Poland and began playing violin at the age of 7. After graduating high school with honors, she came to Israel and began studying with Eyal and Yair Kless in Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv University. During that time she was performing both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, having concerts in Israel, as well as abroad.
After completing her Bachelor's and Master's Degree, she continued to study towards an Artist Diploma on a viola in the class of Dr. Lilach Levanon.
Ever since graduating from Tel Aviv University Marta has been an active violin and viola player in various solo, chamber, and orchestral projects which expand beyond the classical music genre.
Marta has been a member of the viola section in Israel Camerata Jerusalem since 2022.
-
Boris Rimmer
Boris Rimmer was born in 1977 in Kazakhstan. He began studying violin at the age of 7 at the State's Higher School of Music. After graduating he moved to Israel, and continued his violin and viola studies at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. He performed in the Israel Young Philharmonic Orchestra and participated in numerous chamber music projects. In 2005-2006 he led the viola section of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra and in 2006-2009 with the Israel Chamber Orchestra. As of 2009, Rimmer is a member of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
-
Eduard Shubaev
-
Sergei Dubov
Sergei Dubov began his violin studies at the age of 6 in Moscow. He then studied the viola
with Mikhail Terian and Yuri Bashmet at the Moscow Conservatory.
Sergei Dubov had been a member of the Russian National Orchestra since its inception, and
the principal viola since 2003. With the RNO, he toured both in Russia and around the world
under such conductors as Mikhail Pletnev, Evgeny Svetlanov, Mstislav Rostropovich,
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Jurowski, Charles Dutoit, Michael Tilson Thomas,
Antonio Pappano, and others. He has also been regularly invited to play with the
musicAeterna orchestra under Theodor Currentzis.
Sergei Dubov has performed with the RNO as a soloist, and has been active as a chamber
musician, collaborating with Mikhail Pletnev, Denis Matsuev, Yuri Bashmet, Alexander Rudin,
Dmitri Berlinsky, Sergei Krylov, Vanessa-Mae, and Per Arne Glorvingen. For a number of
years he was part of the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, premiering and recording
numerous works by contemporary composers.
He joined the Israel Camerata Jerusalem in 2022.
Cello
-
Zvi Orleansky *
Cellist Zvi Orleansky was born in Israel in 1973. He began his cello studies at the age of 8 with Marcel Bergmann. Orleansky holds a Bachelor's degree from the Tel Aviv Israeli Academy of Music, and an Artist Diploma from the Piano Trios program of the New England Conservatory in Boston. He performed as a soloist with the Israel Symphony Orchestra, Rishon LeZion, Ramat-Gan Chamber Orchestra, Hadera Classica Orchestra and with the Carter Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv University. Today Zvi is Principal Cellist of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
-
Marina Katz *
Marina Katz was born in Riga, Latvia. She began her cello studies at the age of 6 at the "Emils Darzins" special music school, under the guidance of Prof. Eleonora Testeletz. As a young cellist Marina participated in many international festivals and competitions. In Israel Marina had completed her Bachelor's degree at the Tel Aviv Israeli Academy of Music and continued her Masters' degree at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance under Prof. Emanuel Gruber. Marina appeared as a soloist with many orchestras. She is currently Principal Cellist of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
-
Alexander Sinelnikov **
Alexander Sinelnikov holds a PhD degree in cello performance from the Rimsky-Korsakov National Academy of Music in St. Petersburg. He taught in the same Academy, was a member of the Philharmonic Orchestra of St. Petersburg, and later a member of the Symphonic Orchestra at The Mariinsky Theatre. Alexander came to Israel in 1990, joined the Chamber Ensemble “Galilee Soloists”, and a few years later joined the Israel Camerata Jerusalem. He is and active solo and chamber music player in Israel and abroad.
-
Eshter Valladares
Esther Valladares was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where she finished her high school with honors. In 2007 she received a scholarship to study cello in the USA at Washburn University, Kansas under Dr. Steven Elisha. In 2009 she continued her Bachelor's degree in Conservatory of Zaragoza, Spain under David Apellániz. In 2012 Esther performed as a soloist in the music festival of Central America (JOCCA) with concerts in Honduras. In Israel, she studied towards her Master's degree in Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance under Prof. Zvi Plesser. In 2017, Valladares joined the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
Bass
-
Dmitri Rozenzweig *
Bass player Dmitri Rozenzweig was born in 1973. He acquired his music education in several music academies such as: Irkutsk (Russia) Music College and the Novosibirsk State Music Conservatoire. Before moving to Israel, Dmitri played with the Irkutsk Regional Philharmonic Society and the Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Society. He joined the Camerata as principal bass player in 2001.
-
Kai Jack
Kai Jack is a double bassist from Norway and his middle name is "eclectic". He enjoys all genres of music, but finds classical and contemporary to be the most challenging and, therefore, fun. He considers all his colleagues to be his teachers and has a mesmerizing effect on stray cats and children. He lives in Jerusalem with his house-mates, eats organic, and enjoys strolling through cities with his bass on his back while providing witty replies to all those who stop to ask if he doesn’t wish he played the flute instead. He has been with the Camerata since 2022 and studied in Sweden, Italy and Israel. He is passionate about using music for social change, has many years of experience working with El Sistema-inspired projects, and is striving to build such a project in Jerusalem. His other projects are the Jerusalem Double Bass Quartet and The Mediterranean Double Bass Forum.
Flute
-
Esti Rofe *
Flutist Esti Rofe' was born in Israel in 1976. She graduated from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv in 2000. Esti completed her Master's degree, with honors, at Munich School of Music. Esti was recorded in television networks in Israel and abroad, including Germany's South-West radio station, SWR, and the Danish radio and television. Esti Rofe' serves as the principal flutist of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
Oboe
-
Muki Zohar *
Muki Zohar was born in 1973 in Tel Aviv. He began studying oboe with Smadar Shazar. He obtained his Bachelor's degree at the Music Academy in Amsterdam under Jan Sfronk. Muki continued his graduate studies on full scholarship in the USA at the University of Minnesota under Basil Reeve. Muki has appeared as soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He participated in chamber ensembles such as Trio "Erato" and the new Israeli ensemble. Since 2000 he serves as Principal Oboist and soloist at the Israel Camerata Jerusalem. Muki plays an oboe that was purchased with the assistance of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.
-
Ori Meiraz
Ori Meiraz plays the oboe & English horn in the Israel Camerata Jerusalem Orchestra since 1999. In the last few years, he moderates children and youth chamber music concerts in a project of the Ministry of Education and the Camerata.
In addition to his musical activities, Ori Meiraz works as a certified Elbaum therapist, accompanying children and adults dealing with different functional deficiencies. Ori lives in Tel Aviv with his significant other Patrice, their dogs Billy & Lalique as well as the cat Shimshon.
Clarinet
-
Shira Eliassaf *
Shira Eliassaf began her clarinet studies under Ilya Schwarts. She served as principal clarinettist at the IDF Orchestra and graduated from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at the Tel Aviv University in the clarinet class of Ron Selka and Yevgeny Yehudin. For three years in a row she won several awards in BMSOM solo playing competitions.
After graduating, Shira joined the Israeli Sinfonietta Beer Sheva as a principal Clarinettist.As a soloist she played with the IDF Orchestra, the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra and the Israeli Sinfonietta Beer Sheva.
Shira frequently plays chamber music and had recorded several times for the Israeli national radio and TV.
In addition, she played both principal and Piccolo Clarinet in an international concert tour with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Maestro Zubin Mehta.
Between the years 1999-2007 Shira was awarded AICF scholarships.As of 2019, she holds the position of principal Clarinettist of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
Bassoon
-
Mauricio Paez *
Mauricio Paez was born in Costa Rica. At the age of 17 he was offered the principal bassoon position at the National Symphony of Costa Rica. Since then he held principal positions in various Israeli orchestras - for a decade he performed as solo bassoonist of the New Israeli Opera Orchestra under the batons of Maazel, Mehta, Gergiev and Abbado.
As a chamber music player he has collaborated with Shlomo Mintz, Maurice Bourgue and Frank Bauman. He participated in festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, the Red Sea Festival and Israel Festival.
Paez holds the principal Bassoon player position at the Camerata. He is also a founding member of the New Israel Woodwind Quintet and teaches at both Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
He assists people with disabilities and is active in this regard at Alut and Levinsky Collage in Tel Aviv.
-
Yolotzin Cruz Cedillo
Yolotzin Cruz Cedillo was born in 1999 in a musical family in Mexico City and grew
up in Oaxaca. At the age of 12, she started her bassoon lessons with Cecilia
Rodriguez Salvador.
Since 2016, she is studying at the University of Music and Arts of the City of
Vienna with Prof. Marcelo Padilla, where she completed her bachelor's degree with
distinction in 2020. Since 2021, she studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music
Berlin with Prof. Volker Tessmann. She has taken master classes with Milan
Turkovic, Dag Jensen, Ole Kristian Dahl, among others.
She has performed with different ensembles in Europe and has substituted in the
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.
She has also given master classes at the Escuela Superior de Música in Mexico
City, and she has been a scholarship recipient of the Mexican government and of
the Bank Santader.
In 2022, she was appointed as bassoonist at The Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
Horn
-
Alon Reuven *
Alon Reuven began his horn studies at the age of 10 under Yaacov Kling. He had his solo debut at the age of 12, followed by performances as soloist with orchestras, at the President's residency and in radio and television broadcasts. Alon has performed as a chamber player in all leading chamber music series and festivals in Israel. He worked with "Villa Music" Ensemble (Germany), apart from solo playing in Israel and abroad. Alon is an active teacher, who inherits the legacy of horn performance to young and adult students alike. He plays a horn which was purchased with the assistance of America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Alon's solo CD, “Hornquest”, with soprano Keren Hadar and pianist Yoni Farhi, has been released recently by the British label "Meridian".
-
Michael Altshuler
Michael Altshuler was born in St. Petersburg and immigrated to Israel in 1990. He is an alumnus of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music as well as of the University of Performing Arts in Frankfurt, Germany. Michael was a member of the Israel Symphony Orchestra from 2015 to 2021. Since 2022 he is member of the Horn section of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
In addition to his musical career, Michael is a licensed tour guide. The art, culture, history and archeology of Israel are his fields of interest.
Timpani and Percussion
-
Karen Phenpimon Zehavi *
A native of California, USA, Karen Phenpimon holds degrees in music from the University of California and State University of New York with a concentration in new music for solo percussion and percussion ensemble. She has performed as a percussionist, timpanist and drummer throughout North America, Europe, the Far East and the Middle East. Since moving to Tel Aviv in 1993, Karen has performed regularly with all major Israeli orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, in festivals such as the Israel Festival and Voice of Music in the Upper Galillee as well as with ensembles such as the Barrocade, Tel Aviv Soloists, Musica Nova and Israel Contemporary Players. She has recorded for American, German and Israeli Radio, CDs, feature films and documentaries.
* Principal player
** Assistant principal