Chen Halevi
Encyclopedia
Chen Halevi is a clarinettist. A native of the Negev
desert in Israel
, he studied the clarinet with Yitzchak Kazap and Richard Lesser, continuing with Mordechai Rechtman and Chaim Taub for his chamber music studies.
under the baton of Zubin Mehta
. Since then he has performed with several of the most important orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Japan, including the Israel Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the European Soloists, the Heilbronn Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Virtuosi, the Jerusalem Radio Orchestra, the MDR Philharmonic Leipzig, the NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.
wrote: “ This boy is blessed with a wonderful fusion of artistic musicality and amazing playing technique, all in the service of the muses.”
A frequent participant in summer festivals, Chen Halevi has appeared at the Marlboro, Ravinia, and Santa Fe Festivals in the United States, while his European appearances have included stops at Schleswig Holstein, Colmar, Forcalquier, Prussia Cove, Davos, Rolandseck, Aldebburgh and Verbier Chamber Music Festivals, as well as the PMF Festival in Japan and the Perth International Arts Festival
.
A great lover of chamber music, Chen Halevi has performed with Pinchas Zuckerman and Christoph Eschenbach
, as well as numerous well-known string quartets, including the Keller, Szymanowski, Fine arts, Miro, Prazac, St. Lawrence, Arcanto, Vogler and Kronos Quartets. His close ties with composers has led him to perform a great number of works by, amongst other, Luciano Berio
, György Kurtág
, Magnus Lindberg
, Osvaldo Golijov
, Yan Maresz, Michael Jarrell
, Brian Ferneyhough
, Marco Stroppa
, Bruno Mantovani
and Thomas Adès
. Chen Halevi is a dedicatee of a cycle of pieces by Denis Cohen, Nodus for solo clarinet, Ombre for clarinet and electronics and soft machine for clarinet and cello as well as Les asperges de la lune for solo clarinet by Sven Ingo Koch and a clarinet trio by Lior Navok.
.
In 2007 Chen Halevi founded ClaRecords – a company that will commission, produce and record new pieces from today’s leading composers as well as young and upcoming ones. ClaRecords will be working with other modern art forms to stimulate dialogue between different modes of expression in the 21st century. In its first year Clarecords had commissioned 5 new pieces and made a music video in 3D computer animation.
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, he studied the clarinet with Yitzchak Kazap and Richard Lesser, continuing with Mordechai Rechtman and Chaim Taub for his chamber music studies.
Debut
His debut was with the Israel Philharmonic OrchestraIsrael Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...
under the baton of Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
. Since then he has performed with several of the most important orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Japan, including the Israel Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the European Soloists, the Heilbronn Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Virtuosi, the Jerusalem Radio Orchestra, the MDR Philharmonic Leipzig, the NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.
Career
Today, Chen Halevi is considered to be one of the world’s leading virtuoso clarinettists, playing recitals, concertos, and chamber music with equal success. He is known for his impressive repertoire range that goes from the most difficult contemporary music to playing early music on authentic ‘period’ instruments. HaaretzHaaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
wrote: “ This boy is blessed with a wonderful fusion of artistic musicality and amazing playing technique, all in the service of the muses.”
A frequent participant in summer festivals, Chen Halevi has appeared at the Marlboro, Ravinia, and Santa Fe Festivals in the United States, while his European appearances have included stops at Schleswig Holstein, Colmar, Forcalquier, Prussia Cove, Davos, Rolandseck, Aldebburgh and Verbier Chamber Music Festivals, as well as the PMF Festival in Japan and the Perth International Arts Festival
Perth International Arts Festival
The Perth International Arts Festival is Australia's longest running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia between February-March. The program features contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, opera, visual arts, large-scale public works, Lotterywest Festival Films and the...
.
A great lover of chamber music, Chen Halevi has performed with Pinchas Zuckerman and Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach , born February 20, 1940, Breslau, Germany is a German-born pianist and conductor. He currently holds positions in Washington, D.C. as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and music director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.-Early...
, as well as numerous well-known string quartets, including the Keller, Szymanowski, Fine arts, Miro, Prazac, St. Lawrence, Arcanto, Vogler and Kronos Quartets. His close ties with composers has led him to perform a great number of works by, amongst other, Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.-Biography:Berio was born at Oneglia Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian...
, György Kurtág
György Kurtág
György Kurtág is a Hungarian composer of contemporary music.- Biography :György Kurtág was born in Lugoj in the Banat region, Romania.In 1946, he began his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he met his wife, Márta, and also György Ligeti, who became a close friend...
, Magnus Lindberg
Magnus Lindberg
Magnus Lindberg is a Finnish composer and pianist. He is currently the composer-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic.-Education:...
, Osvaldo Golijov
Osvaldo Golijov
Osvaldo Noé Golijov is a Grammy award–winning composer of classical music.-Biography:Osvaldo Golijov was born in and grew up in La Plata, Argentina, in a Jewish family that had emigrated to Argentina in the 1920s from Romania and Russia.Golijov has developed a rich musical language, the result of...
, Yan Maresz, Michael Jarrell
Michael Jarrell
Michael Jarrell is a Swiss composer. Born in Geneva, he studied at the Conservatoire there, and later with Klaus Huber in Freiburg.His works span many genres...
, Brian Ferneyhough
Brian Ferneyhough
Brian John Peter Ferneyhough is an English composer. His music is characterized by the extensive use of complex rhythmic tuplet notation which features in all his works...
, Marco Stroppa
Marco Stroppa
Marco Stroppa is an Italian composer who writes computer music as well as music for instruments with live electronics.-Biography:...
, Bruno Mantovani
Bruno Mantovani
Bruno Mantovani is a French composer. He has been awarded first prizes from the Paris Conservatory which he joined in 1993...
and Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès is a British composer, pianist and conductor.-Biography:Adès studied piano with Paul Berkowitz and later composition with Robert Saxton at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London...
. Chen Halevi is a dedicatee of a cycle of pieces by Denis Cohen, Nodus for solo clarinet, Ombre for clarinet and electronics and soft machine for clarinet and cello as well as Les asperges de la lune for solo clarinet by Sven Ingo Koch and a clarinet trio by Lior Navok.
Projects and Teaching
He is now working on a recording project, which presents an anthology of 20th Century music for clarinet, and includes his selections of the solo, chamber music, concerto, and electronic works. Halevi is currently the Clarinet Professor in the Trossingen Hochschule fur Musik in Germany and has travelled all over the world to give master classes to spread his school of teaching and playing. Since 2007 he is a Faculty member in the summer master classes at the Banff CentreBanff Centre
The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta...
.
In 2007 Chen Halevi founded ClaRecords – a company that will commission, produce and record new pieces from today’s leading composers as well as young and upcoming ones. ClaRecords will be working with other modern art forms to stimulate dialogue between different modes of expression in the 21st century. In its first year Clarecords had commissioned 5 new pieces and made a music video in 3D computer animation.