Keren Hadar ( he, קרן הדר; born 1975) is a crossover
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 ...
singer from Israel. She was born in Neve Ne'eman in the
Hod HaSharon
Hod HaSharon ( he, הוֹד הַשָּׁרוֹן, lit. "Splendor of the Sharon, Israel, Sharon plain") is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel. The city is located approximately east of the Mediterranean coastline, s ...
municipality. She is the third of four siblings. Keren's father, a businessman, was born in Israel and her mother, a secretary, was born in
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
.
Youth and beginning of career
She began her
voice training at age 16 at the
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews of ...
Conservatory, studying classical singing with singer and conductor
Nili Harpaz. After her army service in the
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
, she studied at the
Beit Zvi Academy of Performing Arts in
Ramat Gan
Ramat Gan ( he, רָמַת גַּן or , ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is home to one of the world's major diamond exchanges, and many ...
, specializing in musical theatre with Dorit Atzmon. As part of her studies she appeared, among others, as
Polly Peachum in the musical ''
The Threepenny Opera
''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...
'' by
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...
and
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...
, as
Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play ''Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''.
Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Profe ...
in ''
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...
'' by
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...
and
Frederick Loewe
Frederick Loewe (, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988) was an Austrian-United States, American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including ''Br ...
and as the High Priestess in ''
Hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
'' by
James Rado
James Alexander Radomski (January 23, 1932 – June 21, 2022), known professionally as James Rado, was an American actor, playwright, director, and composer, best known as the co-author, along with Gerome Ragni, of the 1967 musical ''Hair''. He ...
,
Gerome Ragni
Gerome Ragni (born Jerome Bernard Ragni; September 11, 1935 – July 10, 1991) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter, best known as one of the stars and co-writers of the 1967 musical '' Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical''. On Jun ...
and
Galt MacDermot
Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot (December 18, 1928 – December 17, 2018) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song " African Waltz" in 1960. His most-successful musicals were ''Hai ...
.
In her last year of studies Keren started appearing in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
's
Cameri Theater
The Cameri Theater ( he, התיאטרון הקאמרי, ''HaTeatron HaKameri''), established in 1944 in Tel Aviv, is one of the leading theaters in Israel, and is housed at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
History
The Cameri theater was found ...
as the singer in "Requiem" ("Ashkava") written and directed by
Hanoch Levin
Hanoch Levin ( he, חנוך לוין; December 18, 1943 – August 18, 1999) was an Israeli dramatist, theater director, author and poet, best known for his plays. His absurdist style is often compared to the work of Harold Pinter and Samuel Bec ...
. Following her studies at Beit Zvi, Keren continued to appear at the Cameri Theater in addition to performances with the
Be'er Sheva Theater in "Master of Two Servants" and "Owls", while collaborating with playwright, lyricist and literature researcher Dr.
Dan Almagor
Dan Almagor ( he, דן אלמגור; born 1935) is an Israeli playwright who has adapted and translated over a hundred plays for the Hebrew stage, including Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors", "As You Like It", "Fiddler on the Roof," "The King a ...
in Hebrew songs, with the composer and translator Dori Parnes in songs by poet
Hezy Leskly and with composer Yossi Ben-nun in songs by
Federico Garcia Lorca Federico (; ) is a given name and surname. It is a form of Frederick, most commonly found in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
People with the given name Federico
Artists
* Federico Ágreda, Venezuelan composer and DJ.
* Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, ...
.
During this time Keren met her life-partner, Alon Reuven, Principal
Horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem, and through his encouragement returned to her classical voice training with soprano
Sharon Rostorf-Zamir and Efrat Ben-Nun. She also took classes in the Musicology Department and the Music Academy 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 ...
, including harmony,
sight-reading
In music, sight-reading, also called ''a prima vista'' (Italian meaning "at first sight"), is the practice of reading and performing of a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to descri ...
and diction in various languages, in addition to German studies at the
Goethe Institute
The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and ...
in Tel-Aviv.
Later career
Hadar launched her career as a classical singer at the 2004 Classical Chamber Music Festival with 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 ...
. Keren has since made numerous appearances with orchestras in Israel and around the world, including the
Westchester Philharmonic
The Westchester Philharmonic is a professional symphony orchestra based in Westchester County, New York, United States. The orchestra performs in the concert hall of the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College.
The orchestra was founded in 19 ...
(New York), the
Berlin Symphony, the
Israel Philharmonic
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...
, the Israel Camerata Jerusalem and the Haifa Symphony under the baton of celebrated conductors, such as
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Mehta's father was the foun ...
,
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...
,
Noam Sheriff
Princewill Paroskey (born 7 April 1994 – ) he was a fiber optic engineer, at IPNX Nigeria limited. Princewill was one of Nigerian most versatile fiber optic engineer. He was two times fiber Director of Nigeria (2021-2022); Fiber Director of th ...
,
Arie Vardi
Arie Vardi ( he, אריה ורדי; born 1937) is a classical pianist, conductor, and piano pedagogue. He is laureate of the Israel Prize in 2017.
Biography
Vardi was born in Tel Aviv and graduated from the Rubin Academy (renamed the Buchmann-Me ...
, Avner Itai, Avner Biron,
Lior Shambadal
Lior Shambadal (Hebrew: ליאור שמבדל) (born 1950 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli composer and conductor.
Study
Lior Shambadal studied Viola, Trombone and conducting in his native city of Tel Aviv. He studied theory and composition with ...
, Yaron Gottfried,
Ud Joffe,
Winfried Toll,
Gabor Hollerung and Marcello Panni.
Hadar has also appeared in various festivals including the
Israel Festival
The Israel Festival ( he, פסטיבל ישראל) is a multidisciplinary arts festival held every spring in Israel. Its center is Jerusalem. The festival operates as a non-profit organization. Some of the shows are offered free. Street performance ...
, the Abu Gosh Vocal Music Festival, the Upper Galilee Chamber Music Festival and others and has made many recordings for television and radio.
Hadar has enjoyed close collaboration with the composer, arranger and conductor Rafi Kadishson, with whom she released her first recording dedicated entirely to the composer
Mordechai Zeira
Mordechai Zeira (, July 6, 1905 – August 1, 1968), born in Kiev as Dmitry Greben, was an Israeli composer.
Mordechai Zaira (Greben) was one of the most important Israeli composers and songwriters. Wrote melodies for the best poets and songwri ...
, together with singer and conductor
Dan Ettinger. Kadishson also composed a work for Keren called "Igayon" ("Nonsense"), based on
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...
's "
Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
" books.
Hadar made numerous appearances with the pianist and conductor Yoni Farhi, the horn player Alon Reuven and the classical guitarist
Daniel Akiva in Israel and abroad, including England, Germany, China, Croatia, Belgium and Poland.
In 2006-2007 Hadar studied opera in Berlin, thanks to a scholarship she received from conductor and pianist
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...
. Her principal teacher in Germany was the alto Prof. Anneliese Fried at The
Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler"
' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German language, German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions ...
in Berlin.
At the end of the year Keren won the 2007
Rheinsberg
Rheinsberg () is a town and a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on lake and the river Rhin, approximately 20 km north-east of Neuruppin and 75 km north-west of Berlin.
History
Fre ...
Opera Singing Competition, singing the role of Nanetta in
Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...
to critical acclaim.
In September 2007 Keren released her second CD dedicated entirely to
Ella Milch-Sheriff
Ella Milch-Sheriff (Hebrew: אלה מילך-שריף) is an Israeli composer, winner of ACUM award for lifetime achievfment (2022).
Born in Haifa, Israel, Milch-Sheriff began her career as a composer at the age of 12. During her military servi ...
's work "Dark am I...", based on an adaptation of biblical texts from the "
Song of Songs", done by Keren and the composer. The work was premiered at the Israel Festival in 2007 and has since been performed in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
Hadar is the recipient of
America Israel Cultural Foundation
The America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF) is a non-profit American foundation that supports cultural projects in Israel.
History
The America-Israel Cultural Foundation was established in 1939 to support the growth and development of a Jewish ...
scholarships in the field of acting and is the Chosen Artist of the
Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation since 2008.
Discography
Solo albums
*''Mordechai Zeira's Songs'' (2006)
*''Dark am I'' (2007)
Co albums
*''Horn Quest'', with
Yoni Farhi and
Alon Reuven (2010)
*''In the High Windows'', with
Moshe Zorman and
Asaf Roth (2010)
*''Songs of Wine & Love'', by
Josef Bardanashvili (2017)
*''Nigun'', by
Daniel Akiva (2017)
Guest appearances
*''Black n Grey'', by
Reginiano (2016)
*''2023'', by
Aya Korem (2016)
External links
Hadar's Official Website Keren Hadar's YouTube PageHadar on the Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation Website Hadar on zemereshet Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hadar, Keren
Living people
Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts alumni
1975 births
Israeli sopranos
People from Hod HaSharon
Israeli people of Yemeni-Jewish descent