Faculty

Ilya Shmukler

Russia\Israel

The First-prize winner at the Geza Anda International Piano Competition in Switzerland last June, Ilya Shmukler's life changed after applying for and winning his first music competition and attending the subsequent international summer academy at the age of 10: “There I discovered a true musical life, and I fell in love with it, inspiring me to commit my life to music.” He performed his first recital at age 12, and made his orchestral debut at 14. He has since made solo appearances in Europe and North America, and has performed with the Mariinsky Theatre, Fort Worth Symphony, Sendai Philharmonic, Bayer Symphoniker, Tambov Symphonic, and New Music Orchestras, among others. Ilya is a laureate of many international piano competitions, taking top prizes at the New York Virtuoso, Lewisville Lake Symphony, Artist Presentation Society (St. Louis), Shigeru Kawai (Tokyo), Sсriabin–Rachmaninov (Bulgaria), and Rachmaninov (St. Petersburg) Competitions. He was a quarterfinalist in the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and achieved a milestone of his career as a Finalist in the 2022 Cliburn Competition. In addition, he received the award for the “Best Performance of a Mozart Concerto” in the 2022 Cliburn Competition. In 2021, he won the Carnegie Weill Recital Hall Debut Audition and made his New York debut at the venerated venue on December 13, 2022.He completed his master’s degree with honors at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 2021, under the guidance of Elena Kuznetsova and Sergey Kuznetsov. Presently, he studies with Stanislav Ioudenitch at the International Center for Music at Park University in Parkville, Missouri

Emanuel Krasovsky

Israel

August 4th - August 16th

Professor of Piano, Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel-Aviv University;  Barenboim-Said Academy, Berlin (2018-2020). Born in Lithuania; studied with Mindru Katz, Ilona Kabos, Guido Agosti, Aube Tzerko, and Ania Dorfmann. Doctor of Musical Arts degree, Juilliard School. Soloist with Israel Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, Carlo Rizzi, Sidney Harth and others, as well as with other Israel’s orchestras. Recitals in USA, Europe, and Israel. Recorded on CD late piano sonatas by Schubert. Collaborated in concert with Isaac Stern, Natalia Gutman, Ileana Cotrubas, Vera Vaidman, among others. Taught master-classes at Juilliard, New York International Keyoboard Festival, Paris Conservatory, London Royal Academy of Music, Royal College, and Guildhall School, Queen Sofia School in Madrid, Berlin Universität der Künste, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, among many others. Jury member at international competitions: Arthur Rubinstein, Leeds, Dublin, Iturbi (Valencia), Honens, Horowitz (Kiev), Maj Lind (Helsinki), Konzerteum (Greece), Tbilisi, Bremen, Takamatsu, Canberra, Pinerolo, Sennigalia, Cincinnati, and others.

Aviram Reichert

Israel/S. Korea

August 9th - August 14th

Professor of Piano, Seoul National University College of Music. Master-classes in Japan, Korea, South Africa, Israel, USA. Prizewinner in numerous international competitions, including Bronze medal at the 10th Van Cliburn Competition in Fort Worth. Performed with such conductors as Sergiu Commissiona, James Conlon, James De Priest, David Lockington, Leon Botstein, Emmanuel Krivine, Michele Carulli, among others. Was heard in recital throughout USA, Europe, Far East, South Africa, and Israel. Among festivals he took part in: the Ruhr, Epinal, Ravinia, Gilmore, Fontana, Tokyo. Was heard in chamber music with Anne Akiko Meyers, Yuri Gandelsman, Guy Braunstein, Dylana Jenson, Philippe Quindt, and others. Started his piano studies with Hadassah Ben Haim; later worked with Arie Vardi at Tel Aviv University Academy of Music. 

Asaf Zohar

Israel

August 4th - August 16th

Chair, piano faculty, the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University.  Formerly dean, performing arts faculty, and piano department chair, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Graduated from Givatayim Conservatory, Rubin Music Academy at Tel-Aviv University, and Indiana University (Doctor of Musical Arts degree). Studied with Hanna Shalgi, Arie Vardi, Menahem Pressler, Leonard Hokanson, and Michel Block. Prizewinner, Casadesus competition in Cleveland and contests in Vienna, Sydney and Pretoria. Has performed with Israel’s leading orchestras, including Israel Philharmonic, under Zubin Mehta, David Robertson, Urs Schneider, Mendi Rodan, Noam Sheriff, David Shallon, and others. Concertized in Austria, Germany, France, England, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, USA, South Africa, Australia, and Japan. Edited, presented, and performed in concert series, featuring collected sonatas by Beethoven, concertos by Mozart, piano works by Chopin, Brahms, Schumann and other composers.

Yossi Reshef

Israel

August 4th - August 16th

Active as a pedagogue, concert pianist, and conductor. Presently maintains a sought after private  studio in Berlin where, besides working with his regular students, prepares visiting young pianists from around Europe and Asia for auditions and competitions.  Over the past two decades, has given numerous master classes – at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow, the Lodz Academy in Poland, Academies of Zagreb and Baku, the leading higher education institutes in South Africa and Taiwan, as well as at many venues in the US. Was a faculty member at the Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival in New Hampshire and at the Upbeat Uzma Hvar summer festival in Croatia.In 2017 established the Berlin International Piano Master Class, of which he is the teacher and artistic director. A winner of many prizes and scholarships, his performances have been received with critical acclaim in USA, Britain, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Spain, Bulgaria, Russia, South Africa, Azerbaijan,The Philippines, and Taiwan.As a chamber musician has collaborated with such artists as cellist Nino Ruzevic, violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, violist Yuval Gotlibovich, cellist Jonathan Gotlibovich, violinist Dora Schwarzberg, the Serenata of Santa Fe wind players, and the Apple Hill chamber players. Reshef holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California, where he was the student and teaching assistant of Prof. Norman Krieger. Earlier studied in Israel with the legendary Prof. Pnina Salzman, and with Prof. Jonathan Zak at the Rubin Academy, Tel Aviv University. He started his studies with Martha Even Shushan in his hometown Holon, Israel.

Dror Semmel

Israel

August 4th - August 16th

Faculty member,  Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University, and the Israel Conservatory in Tel Aviv; previously taught at the Levinsky Teachers College and the Jerusalem Conservatory, where headed the piano department. Artistic director of Eden-Tamir Music Center in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, he also directs the Kan Voice of Music Young Artists Competition and, together with Lea Agmon, the programs of Edward Aldwell Institute in Jerusalem. His students won prizes in competitions and perform with orchestras in Israel and abroad.Dror Semmel has appeared extensively in Israel, Europe and North America as soloist with orchestras, recitalist, chamber musician and pedagogue. With his sister, Shir Semmel, co-founded the Jerusalem Piano Duo.Studied at the Jerusalem Academy with Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir, continued in NYC with Victor Rosenbaum and Jacob Lateiner, and completed doctorate as a student of Gilbert Kalish. He also worked regularly with Richard Goode.

Yuval Admony & Tami Kanazawa

Israel

August 4th - August 16th

The Piano Duo of Tami Kanazawa and Yuval Admony has been awarded The First Prize in five international competitions: 2008 Oslo Prize in Grieg Competition, 2005 Menuhin Gold Prize in Osaka International Competition, 2002 Ibla Grand Prize in Italy, 2001 Rome Prize, and the 2000 Tokyo Duo Competition. In Israel they are the recipients of The Ministry of Culture Award for a Permanent Chamber Group. Piano Duo professors at The Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University, they gave piano-duo master classes in Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, The Norwegian Academy of Music, Korean National University of Arts, Pacific Rim Festival in Canada, Japan National Piano Teachers Association and elsewhere. The duo appeared in over 30 countries and in prestigious halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Argentina Theatre in Rome, Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall, Warsaw National Radio, Congress Hall in Budapest and others. International festivals include Duet at the Baltic Sea in Russia, Budapest Spring Festival, Klavierduo Festival in Germany, Odessa Dialogues in Ukraine, Asian Music Festival, Felicja Blumental Festival, Upper Galilee, and Israel Festival. Broadcasts by BBC in London, CBC in Canada, Tokyo FM, NHK in Japan, BNR in Bulgaria, Budapest National Radio, Radio New Zealand, Israel's "Voice of Music". Performed with Israel's leading orchestras including Israel Symphony Orchestra, Rishon Lezion, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv Chamber Orchestra, Beer Sheva Sinphoietta, Raanana Symphonette and others.Their Symphonic Poems by Liszt on Naxos label was acclaimed in Fanfare and International Piano magazines. Other releases of the Duo include Rhapsodies for Two Pianos, issued by Romeo Records.

Vera Vaidman

Israel

August 5th - August 15th

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia; graduated from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where her major teachers were Boris Belenky and David Oistrakh. Since arriving in Israel performed  with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta and Andre Kostelanetz, the Israel Chamber Orchestra under Rudolf Barshai, the Jerusalem Symphony, led by Gerard Schwarz, Lukas Foss, Mendi Rodan  and other conductors, and with all the other orchestras in the country. Toured Europe as recitalist and soloist with orchestras, performing, inter alia, the entire Bach violin solo repertoire and the 10 violin sonatas by Beethoven. On Paul Hindemith's 100-th birthday,  played his violin concerto at the Hindemith festival in Stuttgart, Germany. Vera Vaidman has given recitals in New York, Chicago, New Haven, Rochester, N.Y.Since 2007 performs also on viola. Presented  the solo cello suites by Bach on viola in tandem with his violin works in Israel, Spain, Germany, Finland and Poland.Twice she participated in Marlboro Chamber Music Festival (USA), where performed and recorded with Rudolf Serkin, Andras Schiff, Philipp Naegele and other leading musicians.Member of the faculty at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University, Vera Vaidman has conducted master-classes in USA, England, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy,  Hong Kong, Georgia, Croatia, Finland, Poland, Serbia, Hungary, Turkey and Finland.

Guy Mintus

Israel

August 9th - August 10th

A trained concert pianist with the energy of a rock-star and a jazz musician’s sense of adventure, the celebrated Israeli pianist, composer, vocalist and educator is equally at home  sharing the stage with jazz legends, composing for classical orchestras and collaborating with masters of traditional music, working with children or appearing as a soloist with Ska-Punk band Streetlight Manifesto at a sold out New York Beacon Theater. Coming from a mixed heritage of Iraqi, Moroccan & Polish Jews, his music is a meeting point between different rivers of inspiration flowing freely into each other. Recipient of the “Leonard Bernstein Award” by ASCAP and the Bernstein Family Foundation and  Prix du Public at the Montreux Jazz Festival’s solo piano competition, his debut record, “A Home in Between”, has been selected as DownBeat Magazine’s Editor’s Pick, while his most recent release, “Connecting the Dots”, has been celebrated in concerts throughout the US, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Turkey and Kazakhstan, including a CD release of a New York  concert that has been recommended by the New York Times.  In 2018, he performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Bavarian Philharmonic. Guy Mintus has been commissioned to compose works for the American Composers Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony  and  Jerusalem East & West Orchestra. In 2018,  composed music for Miracle of Miracles, the new documentary about Fiddler on the Roof by HBO director Max Lewkowicz, and premiered his First piano concerto with the Israel Chamber Orchestra.