Gil Shohat ( he, גיל שוחט, born 7 September 1973) is an Israeli classical music

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, conductor,

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and lecturer.

Biography

Gil Shohat was born in Tel Aviv. His mother is ''

Ha'aretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner ...

'' theatre critic Tzipora (Tzipi) Shohat. He grew up in Ramat Gan. As a child, he attended a music program for gifted children at

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

. His father is an Iraqi Jew. He earned his BM and MM from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University in 1991-1995. In 1995-1997, he studied piano and composition at the

Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia ( en, National Academy of St Cecilia) is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, founded by the papal bull ''Ratione congruit'', issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints prom ...

in Rome, and the following year studied with

Alexander Goehr Peter Alexander Goehr (; born 10 August 1932) is an English composer and academic. Goehr was born in Berlin in 1932, the son of the conductor and composer Walter Goehr, a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg. In his early twenties he emerged as a centra ...

of Cambridge University. Shohat lives in

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

with his life partner.

Music career

His first orchestral work was performed by the

Israel Chamber Orchestra Israel Chamber Orchestra (abbreviation ICO, Hebrewהתזמורת הקאמרית הישראלית (''Hatizmoret hakamerit'') is an Israeli orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Primary funding comes from the Israel Ministry of Education and the Tel Aviv-Yafo ...

when he was 18. In the army, he served as commander of the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

Chamber Orchestra. Shohat has composed numerous symphonies,

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s, and chamber and solo compositions.

Awards and recognition

Shohat was named Knight in the

Order of Arts and Letters The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

of France in 2009.

Selected works

:Shohat's works are published by

Casa Ricordi Casa Ricordi is a publisher of primarily classical music and opera. Its classical repertoire represents one of the important sources in the world through its publishing of the work of the major 19th-century Italian composers such as Gioachino Ro ...

, Israel Music Institute, Israeli Music Center, OR-TAV Music Publications and Gil Shohat Editions. Music for the stage *''The Happy Prince'', Musical tale for children (1997) *''Alpha and Omega'', Opera (2001) This opera is credited with transforming the Israeli classical music scene because it was the first piece by an Israeli composer to draw audiences in the tens of thousands. *''Max and Moritz'', Operatic musical for children (2002) * ''Tyre and Jerusalem'', Music for the theater (2003) *''Badenheim'', Music for the theater (2006) *''The Devil's Dance'', Ballet (2006) *'' The Child Dreams'', Opera (2010) Orchestral * ''O Ye Dry Bones'' (1995) * Symphony No. 1 ''Israel Symphony'' for

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

(or

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

), choir and orchestra (1998) * Symphony No. 2 ''Alpha and Omega'' (1997–1999) * Symphony No. 3 ''The Symphony of Fire'' (1998) * Symphony No. 4 ''The Symphony of Lights'' (2000) * Symphony No. 5 ''German Symphony'' for soprano, child's voice, choir and orchestra (2000) * Symphony No. 6 ''The Cantata of Ecstasy'' for soprano,

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

, children's choir and orchestra (2000) * Symphony No. 7 (2001) * Symphony No. 8 ''Sacred Symphony'' for soprano, tenor, choir and orchestra (2002) * Symphony No. 9 (2003) * ''The Rest Is Silence'' for string orchestra or string quartet (2006) Concertante * Concertino for piano and orchestra (1993) * Concertino for violin and orchestra (1995) * Concerto for clarinet and orchestra (1998) * Concerto for viola and orchestra (1998) * Concerto for cello and orchestra (2000) * Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra (2001) * Concerto for flute and string orchestra (2002) * Concerto for oboe and string orchestra (2002) * Concerto for piano four hands and Orchestra (2006) * Concerto for guitar and string orchestra (2007) * Concerto for saxophone and string orchestra (2008) Chamber music * ''Anekdotos I: Choral'' for harp (2000) * ''Anekdotos II: Theme and Variations'' for violin (2000) * ''Anekdotos III: Rêverie et Cauchmard'' for viola (2000) * ''Anekdotos IV: Hora Danza'' for cello (2000) * ''Anekdotos V: Organum Mortum'' for double bass (2000) * ''Anekdotos VI: Fantasia'' for piccolo (2000) * ''Anekdotos VII: Mephisto Waltz'' for flute (2000) * ''Anekdotos VIII: Ballade'' for oboe (2000) * ''Anekdotos IX: Lied'' for English horn (2000) * ''Anekdotos X: Klezmer'' for clarinet (2000) * ''Anekdotos XI: Menuet'' for bassoon (2000) * ''Anekdotos XII: Fanfare'' for trumpet (2000) * ''Anekdotos XIII: Nocturne'' for horn (2000) * ''Anekdotos XIV: Prelude "Alla Bachiana"'' for trombone (2000) * ''Anekdotos XV: March Funebre'' for tuba (2000) * ''Anekdotos XVI: Perpeuum Mobile Interrompu'' for marimba (2000) * Quintet for clarinet and string quartet (2005) * Septet for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and double bass (2006) * ''Badenheim Grand Suite'', Octet for 3 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and double bass (2007) Piano * ''9 Early Piano Pieces'' (1985–1987) * ''Three Waltzes (1989) * ''Three Improvisations on Paintings'' (1989) * ''The Kiss of Salome'' (1990) * ''Circles'', 6 Short Methodological Pieces (1993) * Piano Sonata (1993) * ''Sparks from the Beyond'' (1996) * ''Three Studies'' (1997) Vocal * ''Five Songs of Darkness'' for soprano, viola and piano (1990) * ''Pirkei Avot'' (Proverbs of Our Fathers), 7 Short Songs for soprano and piano (1991) * ''Bright Winter'', 3 Songs for soprano, flute and piano (1997) * ''Vocalisa'' for soprano and chamber ensemble (1997) * ''The Song of Songs'', Cantata for soprano, tenor, choir and orchestra (1997) * ''Ophelie'' for soprano and piano or orchestra (2003) * ''Michal'', 4 Songs for soprano and orchestra (2006) * ''Stabat Mater'' for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (2006) *''Dharma'' for 3 singers, percussion, piano, mandolin, harp and strings ensemble (2014)

References

External links