Gilad Hochman
Encyclopedia
Gilad Hochman is an Israeli classical music composer.
Gilad Hochman was born to an Odessa
native father and a Paris
native mother and currently resides in Berlin
, Germany. Hochman began his musical life at the age of 6, studying the piano. He started composing at the age of 9 and at 18 graduated from the Herzeli'ya Music Conservatory
, where he studied under composer Ilya Heifets and pianist Mark Shaviner. In 2007 Hochman graduated with honors from the Buchman-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv
University
, studying under composer Gil Shohat.
Hochman’s music was described as “written with a true artist’s hand”, “the highpoint of an exciting performance”, “sheds new light on customary expressions in music” and as “original, fascinating, unusual and colorful” by the Israeli Prime Minister Award committee in 2007. Hochman was also defined as “one of Israel’s most important composers” in an article concerning “composer Gilad Hochman’s meteoric career", as "a rising star in the classical music world" and as an "already well known classical composer" by the BBC.
Amongst his many achievements, at the age of 24 Hochman became the youngest composer to be awarded the prestigious Israeli Prime Minister Award (2007) for his artistic work. At age 22 he was the youngest to be appointed composer in residence by one of Israel’s most known orchestras, Ra’anana Symphonette. He founded and artistically directed the Arco String Ensemble and the New Sounds concert series of the Israel Composers’ League and in 2007 won a merit certificate from the city of Ra'anana
.
Hochman's oeuvre includes a wide range of composition
s for solo instruments, chamber music, choirs and orchestras which reflects a verity of aesthetic approaches. His music is, on the one hand, a continuation of classical music’s development, yet on the other hand he puts a great emphasis on themes relating to the Jewish tradition and his Israeli origin. His diverse body of works includes Whom My Soul Loveth for solo cello and mixed choir. The piece explores feeling of human yearning and is based upon a single verse from the biblical Solomon's Song of Songs (3:1). In this work Hochman defines, in an original fashion, the place of the individual cello vis-à-vis the choir surrounding it, creating a fascinating dialogue that shifts between a whispered prayer and dramatic, powerfully expressive climaxes. The uniqueness of this work does not derive solely from the unconventional ensemble, but more significantly from Hochman’s sensitive treatment of the melodic phrases, the gradual construction of the dramatic progression and the way in which the distinctive artistic goal is reached in the end. This composition was commissioned by the Chorbiennale of Aachen
, Germany in year 2009.
Hochman’s music is often commissioned and performed by leading musicians and music institutes worldwide. It was played, among others, by Ensemble Modern
– Frankfurt, Oriol Ensemble
, Synergy Ensemble, Musica Nova Ensemble, Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble and the Israel Chamber Orchestra
. It was also performed at Heidelberg Biennale for New Music, Aachen International Choir Biennale, Israel Music Fest, in dozens of different concerts and in Music Academies like Sibelius Academy
(Helsinki), UDK (Berlin), Guildhall School of Music (London), Juilliard (New York) and Rubin (Jerusalem). In November 2009 a full retrospective concert of Hochman's work was held at Mainz
Music Academy in South Germany. In April 2011, Bochum
Art Museum had initiated a similar retrospective to Hochman's chamber-music compositions.
Gilad Hochman was born to an Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
native father and a Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
native mother and currently resides in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany. Hochman began his musical life at the age of 6, studying the piano. He started composing at the age of 9 and at 18 graduated from the Herzeli'ya Music Conservatory
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
, where he studied under composer Ilya Heifets and pianist Mark Shaviner. In 2007 Hochman graduated with honors from the Buchman-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, studying under composer Gil Shohat.
Hochman’s music was described as “written with a true artist’s hand”, “the highpoint of an exciting performance”, “sheds new light on customary expressions in music” and as “original, fascinating, unusual and colorful” by the Israeli Prime Minister Award committee in 2007. Hochman was also defined as “one of Israel’s most important composers” in an article concerning “composer Gilad Hochman’s meteoric career", as "a rising star in the classical music world" and as an "already well known classical composer" by the BBC.
Amongst his many achievements, at the age of 24 Hochman became the youngest composer to be awarded the prestigious Israeli Prime Minister Award (2007) for his artistic work. At age 22 he was the youngest to be appointed composer in residence by one of Israel’s most known orchestras, Ra’anana Symphonette. He founded and artistically directed the Arco String Ensemble and the New Sounds concert series of the Israel Composers’ League and in 2007 won a merit certificate from the city of Ra'anana
Ra'anana
Ra'anana is a city in the heart of the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel with a population of 68,300, . Ra'anana is bordered by Kfar Sava on the east and Herzliya on the southwest...
.
Hochman's oeuvre includes a wide range of composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
s for solo instruments, chamber music, choirs and orchestras which reflects a verity of aesthetic approaches. His music is, on the one hand, a continuation of classical music’s development, yet on the other hand he puts a great emphasis on themes relating to the Jewish tradition and his Israeli origin. His diverse body of works includes Whom My Soul Loveth for solo cello and mixed choir. The piece explores feeling of human yearning and is based upon a single verse from the biblical Solomon's Song of Songs (3:1). In this work Hochman defines, in an original fashion, the place of the individual cello vis-à-vis the choir surrounding it, creating a fascinating dialogue that shifts between a whispered prayer and dramatic, powerfully expressive climaxes. The uniqueness of this work does not derive solely from the unconventional ensemble, but more significantly from Hochman’s sensitive treatment of the melodic phrases, the gradual construction of the dramatic progression and the way in which the distinctive artistic goal is reached in the end. This composition was commissioned by the Chorbiennale of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, Germany in year 2009.
Hochman’s music is often commissioned and performed by leading musicians and music institutes worldwide. It was played, among others, by Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries....
– Frankfurt, Oriol Ensemble
Ensemble
Ensemble may refer to:* Musical ensemble* Ensemble cast * Dance ensemble* Statistical ensemble ** Quantum statistical mechanics, the study of statistical ensembles of quantum mechanical systems...
, Synergy Ensemble, Musica Nova Ensemble, Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble and the Israel Chamber Orchestra
Israel Chamber Orchestra
The Israel Chamber Orchestra is an Israeli orchestra based in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Primary funding comes from the Israel Ministry of Education and the Tel Aviv Jaffa Municipality....
. It was also performed at Heidelberg Biennale for New Music, Aachen International Choir Biennale, Israel Music Fest, in dozens of different concerts and in Music Academies like Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
(Helsinki), UDK (Berlin), Guildhall School of Music (London), Juilliard (New York) and Rubin (Jerusalem). In November 2009 a full retrospective concert of Hochman's work was held at Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
Music Academy in South Germany. In April 2011, Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
Art Museum had initiated a similar retrospective to Hochman's chamber-music compositions.
External links
- Official Website
- Portrait article by the Deutschland Magazine (German)
- Portrait article by the Deutschland Magazine (English)
- Interview to Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten (German)
- Article by Interlude Magazine, Hong Kong - Composer of the Month (English)
- Interview to Ha'arez Newspaper (Hebrew)
- Multilingual Biographies (En, ע, De, Fr, Ру, Es, 中文, ع )