Or Yissachar

Pianist and composer Or Yissachar is an Israeli concert musician. Laureate of the America-Israel Culture Fund, he has become increasingly known in recent years for his focus on performance of contemporary Israeli works for piano, including his own. He won the 1st prize in the Paul Ben Haim performance competition for Israeli music, and was invited to play in halls in the United States, France, Israel, Portugal, Germany, Italy and elsewhere, as with ensembles such as the 21st Century Ensemble under the baton of Ilan Volkov. His original repertory for piano, chamber and orchestral media brought him to win the 1st prize in the Israeli Composition Competition arranged by the Tel Aviv Shtriker Conservatory, and reach the finals of the prestigious Dvorak Competition, among others. His works were also performed by ensembles such as Meitar.

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Having gone through rigid musical education focusing on the heritage of the traditional school, Or dedicated much of his career for the performance and analysis of music from different époques, from Medieval through Baroque and Classical to the Romantic and modern age, including Piano Concerti by Beethoven, Schumann and Shostakovich, Piano Sonatas by Mozart, Schubert and Haydn, and chamber works by Dvorak, Menotti and Brahms. Or played under the baton of Ovidiu Balan with the Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra, and of Bernhard Forck in the Israeli premiere of Telemann’s Orpheus.

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Or has participated in numerous festivals worldwide, including Virtuoso Bel Canto in Italy and Tel Hai in Israel, and was given masterclasses by Michael Wladkowski, Adrian Brendel, Ofra Yitzhaki, Michal Tal, Assaf Zohar, Aquiles delle Vigne and others. Among the halls in which he performed are Maltz Center – Cleveland, Weigel Auditorium – Ohio State University, Souers Hall – Miami University, Fumagalli Theater – Italy, the Clairmont and Shtriker Halls – Tel Aviv and the Tel Aviv Museum of Arts. He also played several times in the Israeli Music Festival, the exclusive “Youth in the Center” program and the Excellence Concert in Jerusalem (both were broadcasted on the national radio).

 

Grateful to his musical mentors, piano teachers Prof. Arnon Erez, Dalia Harel and Hanna Shalgi, and composition teachers Dr. Michael Damian and Prof. Joseph Bardanashvilli, Or attempts to bring a unique view and broad perspective on music making and interpretation.

 

Or fully completed his military service and speaks 5 different languages. A graduate from the piano, composition and musicology departments in the Buchmann Mehta School of Music – Tel Aviv University, he also graduated from the prestigious Sciences Po school in Paris, where he earned his master’s degree.