The Gropius Ensemble
Israel's Interdiciplinary Group
Artistic director: Daniel Cohen
Daniel Cohen - Artistic Director
Daniel Cohen is artistic director and founder of the Gropius Ensemble. He is also music director of the Eden Sinfonia in London, with which he has made his Queen Elizabeth Hall debut. In 2007 Daniel was appointed chief conductor of the Jersey Chamber Orchestra were he collaborated with such artists as Michael Collins, Nicola Benedetti and Alison Balsom. In April 2010 Daniel was appointed associate conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra.
Following his graduation from the postgraduate conducting program at London's Royal Academy of Music, Daniel won first prizes at the Admont International Conducting Competition, and the Aviv Competitions.
Daniel will assist Maestro Daniel Barenboim with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra on Beethoven's
Roy Amotz - flute
Born in Jerusalem in 1982, Roy Amotz started his musical studies in at the age of 9.
Among his teachers are Moshe Epstein Yossi Arnheim and Jean Claude Gérard. Currently he pursues his studies at the Berlin University of Arts with Roswitha Staege. Alongside his studies Roy is an active chamber musician, especially committed to Israeli Music: A regular guest at the Israeli Contemporary players, he is a member of Ensemble Meitar, a unique group of young Israeli
Tiran is one of Israel's most esteemed actors. Trained as a concert pianist, he graduated the Telma Yalin Hight School of Arts and switched to acting, entering the celebrated Beit Zvi School of Drama, where he graduated with highest distinction and received the Claire Award. During his time at Beit Zvi he gave a highly acclaimed rendering of Richard II, and In 2003 Tiran was awarded the 'Promising Young Actor Award' by the Israeli Theatre.
Despite his young age, Tiran has played several main roles as actor in the Israeli Cameri Theater such as: Hamlet, Eiloff in Mutter Korage, Berger in Hair, King Richard in Richard II, Mozart in Peter Shafer's Amadeus, Kitel in Getto. Tiran will soon make his directing debut at the Cameri Theater with Büchner's
musicians who dedicate themselves to developing and performing Israeli classical music written now days. Roy Amotz is a guest player in Orchestras such as the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and the Radio Orchestra of South Germany. Solo performances include concerts with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Filderharmonie Orchestra Stuttgart and recitals in England, Germany, Switzerland, USA and Jordan.
Violinist Sivann Zelikoff holds a BMus and MMus with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where her principal teacher there was Lydia Mordkovitch. During a highly distinguished studentship she won many awards, and debuted in a solo recital at the Purcell Room of the South Bank Centre in London. She has been supported by the Foyle, Kennedy Leigh, Rayne and Solti Foundations, the Musicians Benevolent Fund and the Myra Hess Trust.
Cited by the Peninsula Review as “an artist of the highest order”, Tibi Cziger was born in Israel in 1981, and is currently a student of Charles Neidich at The Juilliard School. In 2006-07 he will be the first clarinetist ever to be admitted to the prestigious Artist Diploma program at Juilliard.
Mr. Cziger holds a Master of Music degree from the USC Thornton School of Music where he received an outstanding graduate award, and a B.Mus. degree Magna cum Lauda from the Rubin Music Academy in Tel Aviv.
As a soloist Mr. Cziger has performed with the Israel Chamber Orchestra and The Israel young Philharmonic where he was the principal clarinetist 2000-2002. He was also a substitute clarinetist at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. As a very active chamber musician, Mr Cziger has performed most of the chamber literature for the clarinet. He recently performed at the Weill Hall at Carnegie, Alice Tully Hall. Cziger is a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships 1997-2003, and in 2003-2005 he received the AICF special scholarship for studies abroad.
Biron is one of the finest young bassoon players of his generation. He currently plays second bassoon in the Berlin Philharmonic and plays principal Bassoon with such orchestras as Daniel Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Orchestra of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, under Maestro Lorin Maazel.
As a soloists Biron played with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim as with many other orchestras around the world and won, among other prizes, the first prize in the Aviv Competitions.
Among his teachers were; Gadi Lederman, Maurizio Perez and Klaus Toneman. He is a recipient for the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships and he graduated from the Hans Einzler Hochschule and the Karajam Akademie in Berlin.
Mor Biron - Bassoon
Tibi Cziger - Clarinet
Omer started his music education playing the Euphonium and Trombone at the Janis and Philip Levin Conservatory of Music in Tel-Aviv with Mr. Zvi Ostrovsky. In July 2001 Omer graduated the conservatory with honors and got an academic scholarship.
Right after his Army service Omer started his music studies with Mr. Micha Davis at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in the Tel-Aviv University with full scholarship.
Omer Played as a guest with the Israel philharmonic orchestra, Israeli Opera and the Jerusalem
Yuval Shapiro started to play the trumpet at the age of 12 and served in the IDF orchestra. In 2006 Shapiro graduated from the Buchman- Mehta School of music with highest distinction as student of Igal Melzer. In 2008 he graduated from the Karlsruhe Hochschule fur Musik under the derection of Reinhlod Fridrich.
Playes solo with Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Gropius Ensemble, and the Tel Aviv Soloists and took part in numerous festival around the world. He is a regular member of Daniel Barenboim's West Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Kibuzim Chamber Orchestra.
In 2005 Shapiro won the first prize in the Aviv Competitions and a special salutation for his playing at the Paul Ben-Haim Competition. Shapiro is a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships.
Yuval Shapiro - Trumpet
Symphony orchestra under the direction of Maestros: Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Leon Botchstein and more. Omer won in 2006/7 and 2007/8 for the American Israel Cultural Foundation for a scholarship
From September 2007 Omer is studying in the Rotterdam Conservatory with Mr. Jorgen Van Rijen, Pierre Volders and George Wiegel.
Omer is a member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Daniel Barenboim.
Omer Beckerman - Trombone
Itamar was bron in Israel in 1982, and began his horn studies at the age of 12. among his teachers were Jacob Kling, Eyal Wilner and Chezi Nir. Graduated the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
Between 2004 and 2006 Itamar played in the Israeli Symphony Orchestra, Rishon Le-Zion and is today a regular member of Daniel Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
Itamar is currently competing his Masters in the Roosevelt University with Mr. Dale Clevenger
Itamar Leshem - horn
Sivann Maayani-Zelikoff - Violin
English born contrabassist Alexandra Scott began her studies at the Yehudy Menuhim Scholl of Music and completed her studies at the Guildhall Scholl of Music with highest distinction. After a year at the Karajan Academy in Berlin, Scott was made principal bass in the North Germany Radio Orchestra in Hanover.
Scott played with some of the leading orchestras around the world, among them the Berlin Philharmonic and is today principal player at the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Alexandra Scott - Contrabass
Itamar Ringel- Viola
Itamar started his musical education in Jerusalem and later at the New England Conservatory, Boston, where he studied towards a Doctoral degree with Martha Katz and towards a Master’s degree with Kim Kashkashian. He currently studies with Tabea Zimmermann and Lars Anders Tomter in the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin on a DAAD scholarship.
He performed as soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the New Chamber Orchestra of
Potsdam, Germany, and at the Ravinia, Yellow Barn, Verbier, Warsaw City and Kfar Bloom Festivals, toured with the Verbier Festival Orchestra under James Levine and performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the “Silk Road Ensemble” in Tanglewood and Carnegie Hall.
In chamber music, Itamar has collaborated with such artists as Miriam Fried, Atar Arad, Anthony Marwood, Natasha Brofsky, and lately collaborated with Gidon Kremer, Lynn Harrell and Gary Hoffman in Kronberg Academy's "Chamber Music Connects the World". He won prizes and scholarships from the AICF, the Jerusalem Music Academy, the Dan David prize, Accademia Chigiana in Italy, and was a fellow of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship in Boston. His musical interests span a wide array including improvisation, composition, and non-European music.
Giori Politi - Percussion
Giori Politi is a Percussionist, Drummer, Composer and an Audio-Visual gamer.
Giori graduated his first degree in percussion at the Rubin academy in Jerusalem where he was studying with mr Alon Bor. and graduated his second degree in percussion along side with Sonology
studies at the Royal conservatory of Den Haag.
He played as a soloist with different orchestras including the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and more. He is a member of different contemporary music ensembles such as the israel contemporary players and plays the drums in bends such as Panic Ensemble and The Walking Man.
Giori played in festivals such as 'steve reich festival' in the Netherlands (where he worked with reich himself), ‘Bartok Festival’ in Hungary, ‘Bath’ Festival in the UK and the ‘Lowlands’ Festival in the Netherlands, and in venues in China, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina and more.
Giori compose music for stage performances such as his own 'MAKA', and many other collaborations with mixed media artist such as visual artist Sigalit Landau, choreographer Barak Marchel and his long on-going collaboration with director Daniel Landau
Giori won the first prize in the one-minute movies award in china in 2005, and he's a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships.
Born in 1983, Israeli violinist Sharon Cohen has been living in Boston now for over two years. She received her Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory, Boston, and decided to stay in the area for the newly formed chamber orchestra, ‘A Far Cry’. Founding member of 'A Far Cry', Sharon is one of 17
Sharon Cohen - Violin
members of this co-operatively led organization which works as a chamber ensemble with no conductor. Other orchestras she plays with in the Boston area are the Boston Philharmonic, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and Harvard Baroque Orchestra.
While not in Boston, Sharon comes to Israel as a substitute player with the Israeli Philharmonic, or travels as a member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra. A regular member of this orchestra since 2003, Sharon has toured with the West Eastern Divan in Europe, South and North America, Morocco and in the Middle East. She is a recipient of the Barenboim-Said Foundation Scholarship.
Sharon received her first degree from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and has served in the Israeli Defense Force as part of the Musician's Unit.
In Israel Sivann has performed as soloist with several prominent Israeli orchestras, including the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and the Israeli Camerata, conducted by Noam Sheriff (performing the Ben Haim violin concerto, which has not been performed in Israel for almost two decades) and Avner Biron respectively. She also performed many recitals for solo violin, piano duo and with her piano trio "Animando Trio", in all the major venues in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; in the "Etnahta" series, "Youth at the Centre" in Jerusalem, and "Shaharit 11:11" at Tzavta. Most recently she premiered on national radio, a work for violin and harp by her uncle Ami Maayani, with her mother harpist Ruth Maayani. Won a prize for the best performance of an Israeli work at the "Aviv" Competition 2008. Won scholarships from the America Israel Cultural Foundation during the years 1989 – 2002.
Born in Israel. Rinat Avisar is the principal Base player of Israel's 'Kibbutzim Orchestra' as well as a member of the 'Tel Aviv Soloist Ensemble'. She is the winner of the 'Zvi Rothenberg strings' contest, the 'Braun-Roger-Zigel' competition and the 'America-Israel Cultural Foundation' scholarship awards since 1993.
Avisar received her Bachelor’s degree from the 'Hebrew University' and the 'Music Academy of Jerusalem' while studying with Michael Klingopher. She is an alumnus of the 'UDK' academy in Berlin where she earned her Masters degree as a student of Prof. Michel Wolf.
While living in Germany, she has performed with the 'Deutcher Symphony Orchestra' and the 'Radio Orchestra of Hamburg' (NDR). Her latest initiative is the critically acclaimed 'Pitango' tango Quartet with which she has been performing successfully world wide.
Avisar gave recitals in Berlin and Israel and participated in international festivals in Zwitzerland, England, Germany and the USA.
Rinat Avisar - Contrabass
Mr. Cohen was born in Tivon in 1983. Mr. Cohen started his Bassoon studies at the age of 12, first as a student of Mr. Uzi Shalev, and since 2002, he studies with Mr. Mauricio Pa'ez. Mr. Cohen completed his B.Mus degree studies both in bassoon and composition at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance (JAMD). Mr. Cohen is a guest player in some of the leading orchestras in Israel, and a member of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem orchestra (since September 2007) and the
"Tel-Aviv Soloists" ensemble (since 2005). As a soloist Mr. Cohen performed with the Ashdod symphony orchestra in January 2008. Mr. Cohen studied composition with Dr. Eitan Steinberg and Prof. Yin'am Leef. His compositions were performed and recorded for the radio. Mr. Cohen received a prize in the 2007 Hanna Yidor-Avni composition competition of the JAMD for his Trio for Bassoon, violoncello and piano (2004). This piece was performed in the Kfar Blum chamber music festival in the summer of 2007. Mr. Cohen has been awarded scholarships by the AICF for bassoon, chamber music and composition studies since 2001. Mr. Cohen was awarded the head of JAMD prize in 2006 and 2nd prize in the JAMD chamber music competitions in 2005 and 2006. Mr. Cohen is a Member of the "Meitar" ensemble since 2006.
Nadav Cohen - Bassoon
Woyzeck in which he will also play the leading role.
Itay Tiran has played leading roles in Award winning Films such as Forgiveness , presented at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival , Beaufort , which won the Silver Bear Award for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival in 2007 and was later nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Category for 2008 and Lebanon which won The Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2009.
Tiran performed Mendelssohn’s ‘Midsummer’s night dream’ with the Israel Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de France under Kurt Mazur.
Itay Tiran: Principal actor
1st Symphony and Boulez' Derive II. Last summer Daniel participated in the conducting master classes of Pierre Boulez at the Lucerne Festival Academy.
Daniel conducted the Israel Philharmonic, the Kammerphilharmonie Graz, the Kiev Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and the King's College London Symphony Orchestra. During this season Daniel will be assistant conductor at the Israel Opera House for Gounod's Faust and Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame. This season Daniel will make his Tonhalle debut conducting the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. This June Daniel will make his Israeli Opera debut with Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame.
Daniel was supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation throughout his studies.
Matan Porat: 'Shooting an Elephant' - World Premiere
A musical drama, libertto after Geroge Orwell
Tuesday 31 August at 19:30, YMCA, Jerusalem
The Gropius Ensemble | Itay Tiran, Narrator | Daniel Cohen, Conductor
Matan Porat - Gropius Ensemble's Resident Composer
Born in Tel Aviv, 1982, Porat is one of Israel's most prominent composers and pianists. Porat's works were commissioned by such renowned artists as Maria João Pires, Elena Bashkirova, the AICF's Spring Competitions, and Kim Kashkashian, and were premiered at the Montpellier, Schleswig-Holstein and Menuhin festivals to general acclaim. His opera, "Animal Farm", was commissioned by the Tel-Aviv Academy.
Porat studied composition with André Hajdu, Ruben Seroussi and George Benjamin. As a concert pianist Poart performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Irish National Symphony Orchestra, Israel Chamber and Symphony Orchestras and played concerts and recitals around the world in such prestigious veniues as the Carnegie Hall in New York, Auditorium du Louvre and Salle Cortot in Paris, the Irish National Concert Hall, and in the Palacio Carlos V in Granada.
He graduated from the Masters degree in Juilliard School of Music and In the past two years Porat has
studied extensively with pianist Murray Perahia in London. Porat won of the Prime Minister’s prize for composition 2009.
