Faculty

Emanuel Krasovsky

Israel

August 3rd - August 15th

Artistic Director

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 3rd - August 15th

Artistic Director

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. 

Massimiliano Ferrati

Italy

August 3rd - August 15th

Professor of Piano at the Conservatory “E. F. Dall’Abaco" in Verona. Bronze medal at Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition, Gold medal at Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition Monza. Prize-winner at Busoni, Dublin, Calgary, Casagrande, and Pretoria. Masterclasses at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy in Kiev, Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Showa University of Tokyo, Tbilisi Piano Fest, International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, Wuyishan International Piano Festival (China). Appeared as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic, Calgary Philharmonic, Gli Archi della Scala di Milano, Moscow Symphony, and Roma Sinfonietta, among other orchestras. Was heard in recitals on prestigious stages in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. Jury member in Piano Competitions like Sydney, Casagrande, Sala Gallo. Recorded and was broadcast by TVP (Telewizja Polska S. A.), CBC Radio & Television, Canada, RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann), Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich, Radio Allegro, Johannesburg, Israel Radio Voice of Music, BBC Radio, RAI, Radio, Ljubljana, Radio Classica, Radio Vaticana, Radio Nacional Clasica, Argentina. Recorded for RS, Velut Luna (Mozart Piano Sonatas) and Brilliant Classics (Respighi Violin Sonatas and Martucci Complete Music for Cello and Piano). In 2024-25 two more CDs with Prokofiev Piano Music and Violin & Piano Sonatas will be released by Brilliant Classics. Studied with Mila Zamparo, Kostantin Bogino, Paul Badura-Skoda (at Accademia Chigiana in Siena), and Sergio Perticaroli (Mozarteum in Salzburg and "Santa Cecilia" Academy in Rome, where received the first-class honors diploma). Masterclasses with Fausto Zadra, Bruno Rigutto, Vladimir Ogarkov, Svetlana Bogino, and Dina Joffe.

Asaf Zohar

Israel

August 3rd - August 15th

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/Germany

August 3rd - August 15th

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 3rd - August 15th

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.

Yaron Rosenthal

Israel

August 10th - August 15th

Professor of piano, head of piano department, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Was heard as soloist with Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic among other orchestras, under Zubin Mehta, David Robertson, Mendi Rodan, Omer Meir Wellber. As a member of Jerusalem Trio, performed at main venues and festivals in Israel, the Americas, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Winner of Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at Tanglewood Music Center, the Italian Government Award fotr the Arts as well as special fellowship from Banff Arts Center in Canada. Has given master classes at Jerusalem Music Center, Sidney Conservatory, Ferenc Liszt Academy in Budapest, Seoul National University, Music University in Leipzig, and other venues. Studied with Benjamin Oren and Pnina Salzman in Israel and with Murray Perahia in London.

Roman Zaslavsky

Israel/Germany

August 3rd - August 15th

Roman ZASLAVSKY / Israel, Germany

Professor of Piano, University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

Winner of top prizes in international competitions: “Jose Iturbi” in Valencia, Spain; “Vendome Prize” in Cologne; and Hamamatsu Academy International in Japan. Performed with orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda (London Symphony), Michail Jurowski, Lászlo Kovács, Constantin Trinks, Ligia Amadio, and Ruben Gazarian. Recitals in nearly all European countries, as well as in Israel, Japan, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan, and China. Has recorded, for EuroArts Music International, music by Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt. His filmed studio solo recital with works by Rachmaninov and Prokofiev was published on DVD, and live-recorded piano recital with compositions by Schumann and Liszt -- on DVD in 2017.  A new DECCA recording of Schumann and Brahms was released in 2020.

Born in Russia, Roman Zaslavsky left St. Petersburg for Israel in 1991, where he worked with Prof. Arie Vardi at Tel-Aviv University School of Music, later moving to Germany.

Yuval Admony & Tami Kanazawa

Israel

August 3rd - August 15th

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 3rd - 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.

Ido Ariel

Israel

August 3rd - August 7th

The Israeli pianist Dr. Ido Ariel is an accompanist, vocal coach, conductor and a lecturer, one of the leading figures in the field of Art-Song in Israel. Since 2013 he is the head of the vocal department at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Since 2012 he is the director of "Shira-Shir" concert series, dedicated to the classical as well as the Israeli art-song in collaboration with prominent Israeli singers. Has accompanied many acclaimed singers in Israel and abroad; he has directed "Singing Words" concert series at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and has artistically advised to related concert-series. A former member of the musical staff at the New Israeli Opera. His activity as lecturer includes master-classes in Europe, the US and Israel. Has won many prizes and awards during his studies in Beer-Sheva Conservatory, The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the Royal College of Music, London, where he won the Director's award for his research and performance of the songs of Arnold Schoenberg.

Guy Mintus

Israel

August 7th - August 9th

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.