Yitzhak Yedid ( he, יצחק ידיד) is an Israeli-Australian

contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included seria ...

composer and improvising pianist, the recipient of numerous awards.

Biography

Yitzhak Yedid was born in Jerusalem, Israel to a

sephardic Jew Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...

ish family of Syrian and Iraqi descent. His initial formative musical experiences included attending liturgical services at his local synagogue where he imbibed the sounds and rhythms of Syrian-style

Baqashot The ''baqashot'' (or ''bakashot'', he, שירת הבקשות) are a collection of supplications, songs, and prayers that have been sung by the Sephardic Syrian, Moroccan, and Turkish Jewish communities for centuries each week on Shabbat mornin ...

. He studied at the

Rubin Academy of Music The Buchmann-Mehta School of Music (BMSM) is an institute of higher education in Tel Aviv, Israel. The school is a part of the Faculty of the Arts of Tel Aviv University and is operated in collaboration with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO). ...

and the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on Hu ...

in Boston with

Ran Blake Ran Blake (born April 20, 1935) is an American pianist, composer, and educator. He is known for his unique style that combines blues, gospel, classical, and film noir influences into an innovative and dark jazz sound. His career spans over 40 rec ...

and

Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...

in 1997 and 1998. Yedid lives in Australia. In 2012 he gained a PhD from

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...

in Melbourne and subsequently published ''Methods of Integrating Elements of Arabic Music and Arabic-Influenced Jewish Music into Contemporary Western Classical Music''.

Career

In 1999 Yedid released his first album, ''Compositions for Solo Piano'', for the Musa label. This led to an invitation to perform in Scandinavia as the guest of the pianist Michael Smith, and to a joint recital in Sweden with the pianist

Roland Pontinen Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

. In 2001, Yedid's second recording, ''Inner Outcry'', was released, also for Musa. Yedid was commissioned to compose the suite

Tachanun ''Tachanun'' or ''Taḥanun'' ( he, תחנון "Supplication"), also called ''nefilat apayim'' ( he, נפילת אפיים "falling on the face"), is part of Judaism's morning (''Shacharit'') and afternoon (''Mincha'') services, after the recitati ...

for the opening of "The Third Stream" festival in Vienna, Austria, in 2002. This composition has been performed many times in Israel including at the Kfar Blum Chamber Music Festival. ''Myth of the Cave'' was commissioned by German record label Between the Lines. It was released in 2002. The five-movement piece has been performed at festivals in Germany and Austria, at the

Vancouver International Jazz Festival The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is an annual summer event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The festival grew out of a local jazz scene that centred on Vancouver Co-op Radio ( CFRO-FM), a community radio station, in the early 1980 ...

in Canada and at the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival in Israel. It is based on

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

allegory of the cave The Allegory of the Cave, or Plato's Cave, is an allegory presented by the Ancient Greece, Greek philosopher Plato in his work ''Republic (Plato), Republic'' (514a–520a) to compare "the effect of education (Wiktionary:παιδεία, παιδ ...

, about cave dwellers imprisoned in near-darkness since birth whose sense of reality is distorted. One of them escapes to the outside world, reports on what he has seen and is put to death for his revelations. In 2003 Yedid composed Passions and Prayers – Sextet in homage to Jerusalem for Between the Lines. It is a technically complex and conceptually melancholy composition that premiered at the 2004 Israel Festival. The CD was released in August 2005. Reflections upon Six Images was commissioned for the Third Stream Festival in Vienna Austria in 2004. The music depicts the union and division of images, colours, textures, styles and cultures inspired by the world of the imagination. The composition was performed at the Vienna festival in September 2004 and at the Etnakhta concert series in November 2004 in Israel. The CD was released at the end of 2005. In 2005, Yedid composed the Oud Bass Piano Trio, performed at the

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...

Festival in Romania, as well as in Australia, Canada, and the US in May and September 2005. In 2002, he joined Israeli jazz saxophonist

Abatte Barihun Abatte Barihun ( he, אבטה בריהון, born 1967) is an Israeli jazz saxophonist and composer. His sound is reminiscent of John Coltrane's, who has highly influenced Barihun. Early life and career (1967–1999) Barihun was born in Addis Ab ...

to form the duo Ras Deshen. They recorded their maiden album in September 2002, which featured a blend of Ethiopian music and Free improvisation jazz. Since immigrating to Australia in 2007, his large scale works include: seven string quartets (Visions, Fantasies & Dances), commissioned by Israel's Sapphire String Quartet; Piano Concerto (2016), commissioned by

Michael Kieran Harvey Michael Kieran Harvey (born 7 July 1961) is an Australian pianist and composer whose career has been notable for its diversity and wide repertoire. He is renowned for commissioning, performing and composing new music. He has especially promoted ...

and the Tel Aviv Soloists; Kiddushim & Killulim (2017) commissioned by Christian Lindberg &

NK Orchestra NK may refer to: Businesses *Imerys (Euronext ticker code NK) *Nordiska Kompaniet, a department store in Stockholm, Sweden *Northrup-King Seed Company *Spirit Airlines (IATA code NK) *NK.pl, a Polish school-based social networking service Places ...

; Delusions of War (2014) for 22 string soloists or string orchestra, commissioned by Divertimenti Ensemble and the

Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (Hebrew: התזמורת הסימפונית ירושלים, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Simfonit Yerushalayim'') is a major orchestra of Israel. Since the 1980s, the JSO has been based in the Henry Crown Symphony Hall, part of ...

; Mandolin Concerto (2016), for mandolin and a large orchestra. Yedid's chamber and solo works include: Chad Gadya (2017), quartet for clarinet, violin, cello & piano, commissioned by Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival; Sensations (2010) for piano, violin and cello, commissioned by Atar Trio; Angles' Revolt (2017) chaconne for solo piano, commissioned by

Lev Vlassenko Lev Nikolaevich Vlassenko (Russian: Лев Никола́евич Вла́сенко; 24 December 1928 – 24 August 1996), was a Soviet pianist and teacher. Biography Lev Vlassenko was born on 24 December 1928 in Tiflis, Georgian SSR, Soviet Uni ...

Piano Competition; Out to Infinity (2009) for Harp solo, commissioned by the 2009 International Harp Contest for their 50th Anniversary; The Crying Souls, Lament for Syrian Victims (2013), a cappella choir, commissioned by the Australian Voices (TAV) Yedid has put out over ten albums as a solo act (

Challenge Records International : ''To be distinguished from Challenge Records (1920s) and Challenge Records (1950s)'' Challenge Records is a record company and label in the Netherlands founded by Hein van de Geyn, Anne de Jong, and Joost Leijen in 1994. Its catalogue includes m ...

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best abr ...

, -btl-, Muse, MCI, and Kaleidos) and has collaborated Ethiopian-born saxophonist and vocalist Abate Berihun as the Ras-Deshen ensemble. Yedid's works for strings include 'Visions, Fantasies and Dances' for string quartet (2006–09) and 'Delusions of War' for string orchestra (2014), and his compositions 'Oud Bass Piano Trio' (2006) and 'Arabic Violin Bass Piano Trio' (2008) combine a classical Arabic instrument with Western instruments. Some of Yedid's works have been described as

Third Stream Third stream is a music genre that is a fusion of jazz and classical music. The term was coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller in a lecture at Brandeis University. Improvisation is generally seen as a vital component of third stream. Schu ...

, which combines contemporary classical music with jazz improvisation. Much of Yedid's output includes slots where soloists can improvise. Yedid has often said he is delighted when performers surprise him with their inventiveness.

Musical style and influences

Yedid says his music is influenced by Arabic music. "When I was a child I went to the Syrian synagogue, where you hear all the melodies in the Arabic scales. I'm using microtonals in my compositions, and also using the Hassidic and Orthodox Jewish scales. This is all with free jazz and classical music, in equal parts." Yedid's music contains a mix of elements. He says: "I'm dealing with very classical things, also with jazz and folk things—but it's not classical and it's not jazz and it's not folk. I'm using various techniques, like a painter who's trying to use all the materials he knows about. I'm trying to bring all these different elements together. My music is like a story – it's like a film or a play." Yedid writes "In Israel, I grew up acutely aware of the tensions caused by the animosity between Palestinians and Israelis. Of profound significance were the sensory images of the shocking terror attack that occurred in a mall in central Jerusalem on December 3, 2001. The destruction and suffering caused by the two suicide bombers was devastating and continues to haunt me to this day. This attack killed eleven innocent boys including my relative 19-year-old Moshe Yedid-Levy. However, in my music, my intention is not to refer directly to experiences such as this but rather to look at Arabic and Jewish matters from a human perspective and in conjunction with philosophical and religious concerns. I am a strong believer in the power of music to bring about understanding, change and reform in societies, and perhaps also between nations. It is my wish to convey the idea of cultural pluralism." Yedid's style of composition has been described as "eclectic, multicultural and very personal- a style that combines jazz and Jewish cantor music, classic European and avant-garde, randomness and a blend of techniques." Barry Davis wrote in the ''Jerusalem Post'' (2017), "Over the past couple of decades or so, Yedid has put out an almost bewilderingly eclectic range of works and recordings. His disciplinary backdrop takes in Western classical music, jazz, free improvisation, Arabic music and liturgical material. His compositions are generally viscerally and cerebrally engaging, and often visually striking, with the piano- playing role requiring a certain amount of calisthenic activity and a significant dosage of emotional and technical investment." Yedid writes "Looking for new compositional approaches and challenging musical conventions through the synthesis of a wide spectrum of contemporary and ancient styles is what motivated my work. Intellectual conflicts such as the confrontation with philosophical matters and religious and political aspects have always been of interest, and also underlie and motivated my work. I have been influenced in particular by Béla Bartók and Arnold Schoenberg to develop a personal vision as a composer." This words by Yedid are inline with what the critics write about his music: John Shand from the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' wrote in 2014 about Yedid's Myth of the Cave "a vividly expansive composition"; Noam Ben-Zeav (Haaretz) wrote in 2013 that "Yedid music is an authentic expression of new music which incorporates a wide spectrum of contemporary and ancient styles"; and Ake Holmquist (NorraSkåne, Sweden) wrote in 2004 that "Yedid integrates specific stylistic influences into a personal created unity. The manner in which he describes folkloristic influences and melancholic specific themes can remind of

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as H ...

; improvisatory float of hovering à la

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

". Musically, Yedid creates a confluence between the Maqamat (Arabic music modal system), heterophonic textures of ancient genres, and compositional approaches of contemporary Western classical music, to produce an original sound. Yedid introduces microtonality in his works in a range of different ways. He examined ways of using microtonal pitches that in Arabic music function as ornamentation and as part of improvisational gestures. He has extended the use of traditional ornamentation to compose microtonal sounds with microtonal qualities that unfold at different tempi without a definite pitch. This can be seen in many of his works. In his string quartet Visions, Fantasies and Dances, the microtonal intervals function in the context of diatonic and chromatic intervals and the method of a tension-and-release for intervals of a quarter-tone and three-quarter-tones have been employed. Yedid have shown a new direction in his later works and courage to make a commentary on international currant political/religious problems that continue to find no resolution. The Crying Souls (commissioned by the Australian Voices) and Delusions of War (commissioned by the

) are both anti-war works. The Crying Souls was written as a response to the chemical weapons attacks that happened in August 2013 in Damascus when more than 1,300 innocent civilian including children were massacred. Yedid writes "This work expresses my endless sadness to the death of innocent people". In the notes on Delusions of War he writes "The music aims to make the listeners "feel" the human suffering that the war causes, and, without assuming to have answers, to encourage them to pause for a moment and to envisage better ways than force to resolve crises. The music captures emotions of anger and fear, and feelings of sorrow, tragedy and righteousness."

Awards and honours

Yedid was the winner of the 2020 Azrieli Foundation Prize for Jewish Music. His winning composition, ''Kiddushim Ve’ Killulim'' (Blessings and Curses), was unanimously declared the best new major work of Jewish music by the judges of the Canadian prize. Yedid received a total prize package valued at over , which included a world premiere performance of his work by Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and a recording released on the Analekta label. In 2018 Yedid was awarded the

Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship The Myer Foundation is a major Australian philanthropic organisation. History The Sidney Myer Charitable Trust was established by the will of Sidney Myer, who died in 1934, leaving a portion of his estate for the benefit of the community. Myer's ...

, worth over a two-year period. Yedid awarded the top two prizes in Israel for composers and performers: the Prime Minister's Prize for Composers (2007) and the Landau Prize for Performing Arts (2009). In 2008 he was awarded the first composition prize for Out to Infinity, a solo work for harp, at the 17th International Harp contest which led to numerous performances and recordings of the piece worldwide. Yedid has been awarded a composer-in- residence position at the

Judith Wright Arts Centre The Judith Wright Arts Centre, formerly the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, is a visual arts, visual and performing arts centre in Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Queensland. The venue was renovated and re- ...

(Brisbane, 2010), at the

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition. WAAPA (commonly pronounced "whopp-a") operates as a part of ECU, located at the ECU campus in ...

(2008) and at the Gallop House in WA (2021, National Trust of Australia). Awards include: * ACUM Prize, 2016 *

Australia Council for the Arts The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...

composition grants * ACUM Prize, 2013 * Artist-in-Residence (2010), Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts * Australian Postgraduate Award (2009–12), Australian Government * Landau Prize for Performing Arts (2009), Michael Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv, Israel * First prize for a work for harp solo ("Out of Infinity") (2008), Israel's International Harp Contest, 50th Anniversary * Prime Minister Award for Composers (2007), Ministry of Culture and Education, Jerusalem, Israel * The Jerusalem International Oud Festival Prize (2006), Center for Ethnic Music and Poetry, The Kalman Sultanik Confederation

Compositions

Before 2005

* Remembering Yitzhak Rabin (2004) for piano solo (ca. 15') :Commissioned by Musa Records 1999 :CD released in 1999 by Musa records :Yitzhak Yedid – piano * Caravan for orchestra and jazz ensemble (ca. 17') :The Rubin Academy * Tachanun (2004), Suite in one movement for piano, double bass and percussions (ca. 66') :Commissioned by Vienna music Gallery Festival, Austria :Duration: 66 minutes :Premiere Performance: September 2005, Vienna Music Gallery Festival :Yedid Ensemble (Vlad Nedelin – drums & percussions, Ora Boasson Horev – double bass, Yitzhak Yedid – piano)

2005–2018

* Myth of the Cave (2005) for clarinet/bass clarinet, double bass and piano (ca. 56') :Commissioned by Deutsche Structured Finance GmbH, Germany :CD released by Between The Lines :Premiere: May 2005, Frankfurt, Germany :Yedid Ensemble (François Houle – clarinet & bass clarinet; Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Tachanun (2005), Suite in one movement for piano solo (ca. 50') :Commissioned by Vienna Music Gallery Festival, Vienna, Austria :Premiere: Chamber Music Festival, Israel :Yitzhak Yedid – piano * Full Moon Fantasy (2005) for piano solo (ca. 37') :Commissioned by Musa Records 2001 :CD released in 1999 by Musa records; reissued in 2005 Yitzhak Yedid – piano * Oud, Bass, Piano Trio (2006), Parts 3 (ca. 11') :Commissioned by the Oud International Festival :CD released by Challenge International Records and Between The Lines in August 2007 :Premiere: 2006, Vancouver Festival :Yedid Ensemble (Michael Maroun – oud; Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Reflections upon Six Images (2006), Image 1, for clarinet, viola, double bass and piano (ca. 13') :Commissioned by Vienna Music Gallery Festival, Vienna, Austria :CD released by Between The Lines :Premiere: Vienna Music Gallery Festival :Yedid Ensemble (François Houle – clarinet & bass clarinet; Galia Hai – viola; Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Oud, Bass, Piano Trio (2006), Parts 1–2 (ca. 21') :Commissioned by the Oud International Festival :CD released by Challenge International Records and Between The Lines in August 2007 :Premiere: May 2005, Sibiu Festival, Romania :Yedid Ensemble (Michael Maroun – oud; Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Ras Deshen (2006) for voice, saxophones, krar and piano (ca. 61') :Commissioned by MCI :CD released by MCI records : Premiere: Tel Aviv Arts Festival :Ras Deshen Ensemble (Abatte Barihun – voice and saxophones; Fentahon Malessa – krar; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Nine Images (2007) for violin, cello and piano (ca. 18') :Commissioned by IBA :Premiere: March 2007, Jerusalem International YMCA, Jerusalem, Israel :

Orit Wolf Orit Wolf ( he, אורית וולף, born 1974 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli pianist, composer and lecturer. Currently holds lecturer positions at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at Reichman University (IDC Arison School for Business Managem ...

– piano; Nathaniel Vallois – violin; Doo-Min Kim – cello * Chagall Project (2007), seven piano solo pieces inspired by Marc Chagall (ca. 42') :Commissioned by The Israeli Music Festival :Premiere: September 2007 :CD released by Challenge International Records in September 2010 :Yitzhak Yedid – piano * Oud, Bass, Piano Trio (2007), Parts 4–5 (ca. 32') :Commissioned by the Oud International Festival :CD released by Challenge International Records and Between The Lines in August 2007 :Premiere: May 2005, Sibiu Festival, Romania :Yedid Ensemble (Michael Maroun – oud; Ora Boasson-Horev – double-bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano * Reflections upon Six Images (2007), Images 2–3, for clarinet, viola, double bass and piano (ca. 27') :Commissioned by Vienna Music Gallery Festival, Vienna, Austria :CD released by Between The Lines :Premiere: Vienna Music Gallery Festival, Austria :Yedid Ensemble (François Houle – clarinet & bass-clarinet; Galia Hai – viola; Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Ethiopian voices: Psalms (2008) for three singers, Ethiopian folk dancer, alto, double bass and piano (ca. 51') :Commissioned by the Confederation House :Premiere: November 2008, Confederation House, Jerusalem, Israel :Ras Deshen Ensemble (

– voice and saxophones; Esti Kenan Ofri – voice; Tzeta Germaye – voice and dance; Fentahon Malessa –

krar Krar (Amharic: ክራር) is a five-or-six stringed bowl-shaped lyre from Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is tuned to a pentatonic scale. A modern ''Krar'' may be amplified, much in the same way as an electric guitar or violin. The ''Krar'', along wit ...

; Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Clowns at Night (2008) for piano solo (ca. 16') :Commissioned by Deutsche Media Productions GmbH & Co. KG :Premiere: March 2008, Jerusalem International YMCA, Jerusalem, Israel :Yitzhak Yedid, piano * String Quartet No 1 (2008) (ca. 14') :Commissioned by Deutsche Media Productions GmbH & Co. KG and Between The Lines :Premiere: March 2010, Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem, Israel :Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola; Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Since my Soul Loved (2008) for violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano (ca. 55') :Commissioned by Deutsche Media Productions GmbH & Co. KG and Between The Lines :Premiere: 2009 Lines Festival, Munich, Germany :Yedid Ensemble (Daniel Hoffman – violin; Galia Hai – viola; Yoni Gotlibovich – cello; Ora Boasson-Horev – double-bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * Midsummer Night's Dream (2008) for piano solo (ca. 21') :Commissioned by Deutsche Media Productions GmbH & Co. KG, 2006 :Premiere: March 2008, Jerusalem International YMCA, Jerusalem, Israel :Yitzhak Yedid – piano *Out to Infinity (2008) for harp solo (ca. 7') :Commissioned by Israel's 2009 17th International Harp Contest to celebrate its 50th anniversary, with the kind assistance of the Israel National Lottery Council for the Arts :World premiere: March 2009,

American Harp Society The American Harp Society, Inc. (AHS) is a non-profit organization. Founded in 1962, the AHS is an organization of harpists with more than 3,000 members from all 50 states and 20 countries. The organization is currently led by President Lynne Aspnes ...

National Harp Competition, Young Professional Division :Noël Wan, harp :Israeli premiere: October 2009, Tel Aviv, Israel :Various competing harpists * In Memory (2009), duo for flute (piccolo and bass) and piano (ca. 13') :Commissioned by Lior Eitan :Premiere: 21 April 2010, Jerusalem International YMCA, Jerusalem, Israel :Lior Eitan – flute; Monica Fallon – piano * String Quartet No 3 (2009) (ca. 13') :Commissioned by Sapphire String Quartet :Premiere: March 2010, Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem, Israel :Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola; Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Kidoshin (2009), duo for saxophone (tenor and soprano) and piano (ca. 26') :Commissioned by Shoham Foundation :Premiere: August 2010 :

Albert Beger Albert Beger (born 1959) is a saxophonist, flutist and an academy lecturer from Israel. Beger is a composer in genres that include post-bop, hard-bop, free-jazz and avant-garde music. Biography Albert Beger was born in the city of Istanbul, Tur ...

– saxophone; Yitzhak Yedid – piano * String Quartet No 2 (2009) (ca. 9') :Commissioned by Sapphire String Quartet :Premiere: March 2010, Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem, Israel :Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola; Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Sensations (2010) for piano, violin and cello (c. 14') :Commissioned by Atar Trio :Premiere: September 2010, Austria :Atar Trio (Tanya Beltser- violin; Marina Katz- cello; Ofer Shelley – piano) * Piano Quintet (2010) for violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano (ca. 52') :Commissioned by Jazz Lines München 2011, Munich, Germany :Premiere: March 2011,

Allerheiligen-Hofkirche The Allerheiligen-Hofkirche (Court Church of All Saints) is a church in the Munich Residenz (the royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs) designed by Leo von Klenze and built between 1826 and 1837. The church was badly damaged from bombing during Wor ...

, Jazz Lines München 2011l, Munich, Germany :Yedid Ensemble (Daniel Hoffman – violin; Galia Hai – viola; Yoni Gotlibovich – cello; Ora Boasson-Horev – double-bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * String Quartet No 4 (2010) (ca. 9') :Commissioned by Sapphire String Quartet :Premiere: November 2012, Jerusalem International YMCA, Jerusalem, Israel :Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola; Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Through the Window of

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...

(2010) for piano solo (c. 55') :Commissioned by Kawai Piano Series :Premiere: Kawai Piano Series, 2010, Ian Hanger Recital Hall, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia :Yitzhak Yedid, piano * Reflections Upon Six Images (2011), Image no 5 for double bass solo (ca. 7') :Commissioned by Ora Boasson-Horev :Premiere:

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria :CD released by Challenge International Records in September 2011 * Arabic Violin Bass Piano Trio (2011) for Arabic violin, double bass and piano, Parts 4–5 (ca. 18') :Commissioned by IBA, Between the Lines and Challenge Records :Premiere: November 2012 :Yedid Ensemble (Sami Hashibun – violin (Arabic tuning); Ora Boasson-Horev – double-bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * String Quartet No 5 (2011) (ca. 11') :Commissioned by Sapphire String Quartet :Premiere: November 2012 :

Jerusalem International YMCA Jerusalem International YMCA is a YMCA branch in Jerusalem established in the early twentieth century. History In 1924, Archibald Clinton Harte, General Secretary of the International YMCA, raised the sum of one million dollars towards the const ...

:Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola,;Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Passions and Prayers, Sextet in hommage to Jerusalem (2011) for horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, trombone, viola, double bass and piano (ca. 18') :Commissioned by Deutsche Media Productions GmbH & Co. KG and Between The Lines :CD released by Between The Lines :Premiere: Seattle 2012 :Seattle Chamber Players * Passions & Prayers (2012) for horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, trombone, viola, double bass and piano (ca. 17') :Commissioned by Seattle Chamber Players :Premiere: August 2013,

Benaroya Hall Benaroya Hall is the home of the Seattle Symphony in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. It features two auditoria, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, a 2500-seat performance venue, as well as the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital H ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, USA :Seattle Chamber Players * String Quartet No 7 (2012) (ca. 11') :Commissioned by Sapphire String Quartet :Premiere: August 2013 :Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola; Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Haunted! (2012), Stage music for a play by Daniel Karasik (ca. 75') :Commissioned by

Touchstone Theatre Touchstone Theatre is a professional theatre company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1976 by a group of University of British Columbia theatre graduates. Touchstone's focus is on the development and production of Canadian works ...

, Vancouver, Canada :Directed by

Katrina Dunn Katrina Dunn (born in British Columbia, Canada) is an actor, director, and producer. She has been the Artistic Director of Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 1997 to 2016. Career Training and work Dunn trained in dan ...

:Premiere: Chutzpah! Festival, March 2013 :Norman Rothstein Theatre, Vancouver, Canada * String Quartet No 6 (2012) (ca. 16') :Commissioned by Sapphire String Quartet :Premiere: November 2012, Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem, Israel :Sapphire String Quartet (Janna Gandelman – violin; Roman. Spitzer – violin; Amos Boasson – viola; Oleg Stolpner – cello) * Arabic Violin Bass Piano Trio (2012) for Arabic violin, double bass and piano, Parts 1–3 (ca. 25') :Commissioned by IBA, Between The Lines and Challenge Records International :Premiere: November 2012 :Yedid Ensemble: (Sami Hashibun – violin (Arabic tuning); Ora Boasson-Horev – double bass; Yitzhak Yedid – piano) * The Crying Souls: Lament for Syrian Victims (2013) for 6-part

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

choir (ca. 9') :Commissioned by

The Australian Voices The Australian Voices are a national choir of young adult Australian singers directed by John Rotar and produced by Scott Griffin. The choir is prominent promoters and performers of Australian choral music, commissioning a number of works in the ...

:Premiere: August 2013 at the Lutheran

Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer ( he, כנסיית הגואל, ar, الكنيسة اللوثرية في القدس, german: Erlöserkirche) is the second Protestant church in Jerusalem (the first being Christ Church near Jaffa Gate). It is ...

:The Australian Voices * Psalm 1 (2014) for solo soprano (ca. 6') :Supported by the Australia Council for the Arts * Delusions of War (2014) for 22 string soloists or a string orchestra (ca. 24') :Commissioned by Divertimenti and the

:Supported by the

:World premiere: October 2014 at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia * Violin (Arabic Violin) Concerto (2015) for violin and a large orchestra (ca. 25') :Commissioned by the Israeli Music Festival :Divertimenti :Israeli premiere: February 2015 at the Henry Crown Symphony Hall :Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuval Zorn :Broadcast live on Israel Broadcasting Authority's (IBA) Kol Ha'Musika station * Zikaron (2013–14), a structured improvisation for piano solo (ca. 55') :Commissioned by Kawai Piano Series :Premiere: April 2015, Kawai Piano Series, Ian Hanger Recital Hall, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University :Yitzhak Yedid, piano * Piano Concerto for

(2016) for piano and symphony orchestra (ca. 20') :Commissioned by the Tel Aviv Soloists and Australian pianist Michael Kieran Harvey :World premiere: 6 October 2016, Ian Hanger Recital Hall,

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University. History The Conservatori ...

, Brisbane, Australia :Divertimenti conducted by Graeme JenningsMichael Kieran Harvey's world premiere performance of this work can be heard on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLXV9ey3gr0 :Israeli premiere: 20 May 2017,

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 ...

, Israel :Michael Kieran Harvey, piano; Tel Aviv Soloists * Angels' Revolt (2016) (ca. 10') :Commissioned by the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, Queensland, Australia : Compolsery work at the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competitio

:Premiere: September 2017 :Premiere: 20 July 2017, Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music, by Graeme Jennings * Chad Gadya (2017, for clarinet violin, cello and piano (ca. 12') :Commissioned by Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival :Premiere: 30 July 2017, Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival Concert 6, Dunwich Public Hall,

Dunwich Dunwich is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB around north-east of London, south of Southwold and north of Leiston, on the North Sea coast. In the Anglo-Saxon period, Dunwich was t ...

North Stradbroke Island North Stradbroke Island ( Jandai: ''Minjerribah''), colloquially ''Straddie'' or ''North Straddie'', is an island that lies within Moreton Bay in the Australian state of Queensland, southeast of the centre of Brisbane. Originally there was onl ...

, Australia :William Stafford, clarinet; Rachel Smith, violin; Louise King, cello; Ayesha Gough, piano * Kidoshim & Killolim (2017), for chamber orchestra :Commissioned by Swedish trombonist Christian Lindberg and the

Israel Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra The Israel Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra (abbreviated IKO) is an orchestra established in 1970. Its offices are situated in Netanya, Israel. The Orchestra performs 120 concerts every season, presenting imaginative, up-to-date and refreshing artistic pr ...

:Premiere: NK Orchestra in October & November 2017 * Music for Ancient Rituals (2018, for 13 wind instruments (ca. 10') :Commissioned by ANAM :Premiere: 12 September 2018, South Melbourne Town Hall

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia :Eliza Shephard, Flute/Piccolo; Wally Hase, Flute; Nick Deutsch, Oboe; Owen Jackson, Oboe;

Dimitri Ashkenazy Dimitri Thor Ashkenazy (born October 8, 1969 in New York City) is an Icelandic clarinetist living in Switzerland. He is the son of pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and has toured Europe with him, as well as performing under him with the ...

, Clarinet; Mitchell Jones, Clarinet; Lyndon Watts, Bassoon; Carol Wang, Bassoon; Matthew Ventura, Contrabassoon;

Marie Luise Neunecker Marie Luise Neunecker (born 17 July 1955) is a German horn player and professor at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler". Professional career Neunecker was born in Erbes-Büdesheim. She studied musicology and German studies. She completed h ...

, Horn; William Tanner, Horn; Freya Hombergen, Horn; Maraika Smit, Horn; Fabian Rusell, Conductor * MAQA VIOLIN (2018, for violin solo (ca. 16') :Commissioned by Graeme Jennings and Karen Bentley Pollick.

Publications

* 2001: Analysis of "Tachanun" (2001) WMG, Austria * 2002: Myth and Music, Allegory of the Cave, CD Liner notes, Vienna New Music Festival Booklet and * 2003: Analysis of "Passions & Prayers, Sextet in Homage to Jerusalem" CD Liner notes and Israel Festival program. * 2004: Analysis of "Reflections Upon Six Images" IBA channel * 2005: "Psalms", Ethiopian tradition Kessim Liturgy Liner notes. Confederation House Program. * 2005: Analysis of "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio" IBA channel, Israel * 2006: Analysis of "Since my soul Loved" Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), Israel * 2007: Oud Bass Piano Trio – New music incorporating a spectrum of contemporary and ancient styles. Sibiu Festival booklet (Romania), Vienna Festival booklet (Austria), International Oud Festival booklet. * 2008: Analysis of "Out to Infinity"

Discography

* 1999 ''Full Moon Fantasy'' * 2001 ''Inner Outcry'' * 2002 ''Ras Deshen'' * 2003 ''Myth of the Cave'' * 2005 ''Passions & Prayers, Sextet in Homage to Jerusalem'' * 2006 ''Reflections upon Six Images'' * 2008 ''Oud Bass Piano Trio'' *2009 Since My Soul Loved *2010 Through the Window of Marc Chagall *2012 Arabic Violin Bass Piano Trio * 2014 ''Visions, Fantasies and Dances: Music for String Quartet Sapphire String Quartet'' *2019 Angels' Revolt

Live radio broadcasts

* 2001: Chamber Music Festival, Galile. Recording to television of "Tachanun" * 2003: Tel Aviv Festival. Recording to television of "Ras Deshen" * 2004: IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Reflections Upon Six Images" * 2005: Sibiu, Romania. Live recording concert for Radio and Television of "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio" * 2006: Vilnius Radio, Lithuania. Live recording concert for Radio and Television of "Myth of the Cave" * 2007: IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Nine Images for Violin Cello & Piano" * 2008: IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Visions, Fantasies & Dances" & "Myth of the Cave"

References

External links

Official site

YouTube channel

Australian Music Center

Music Teachers Online

Drouat, John (2008), "Yitzhak Yedid, Oud Bass Piano Trio, Between the Lines", ''Downbeat'', October 2008, p. 76 (.pdf)

Caemmerer, Arjun von. (2013), "Where Angels Fear to Tread" in ''Australian Jazz Magazine'', 27 October 2013

* [http://australianjazz.net/2014/12/singing-baqashot-reflections-yitzak-yedids-visions-fantasies-dances/ Caemmerer, Arjun von (2014), "Singing the Baqashot – reflections on Yitzak Yedid's Visions, Fantasies and Dances" in ''Australian Jazz Magazine'', 23 December 2014]
Mitchell, Roger, "And the Winners Are ...", in ''Ausjazz'', 26 April 2013

"Yitzhak Yedid wins a Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yedid, Yitzhak 1971 births Living people Israeli Sephardi Jews Israeli composers Israeli pianists Israeli people of Syrian-Jewish descent People from Jerusalem New England Conservatory alumni Israeli emigrants to Australia Jewish Australian musicians Challenge Records (1994) artists