Iris Regev's first musical memories are of her parents playing Baroque music with her father's scientist colleagues on Saturday mornings. Her father, who combines a professorship in abstract mathematics with the complexities of the Baroque, is an accomplished amateur oboist and authority on the music of J.S. Bach. Iris's mother is a pianist.
At age 7, Iris started to play piano, and both the alto and the soprano recorder. When she wanted to move to the more "modern" clarinet or cello 2 years later, her parents' first concern was about how she would deal with the size (and weight) of the cello. Iris persevered and she chose cello.
As the recipient of an America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship, Iris studied with former IPO principal cellist Zvi Harel. At age 17 she won the Clairemont String Competition and the Aldo Parisot Young Cellist's Competition.
She completed her Bachelor of Music studies at the Julliard School with Canadian cellist Zara Nelsova, winning the Gluck Fellowship Award.
During her first year in New York, she met Israeli pianist and composer Ilan Rechtman and within three months the couple was happily married. They then established a career of recitals and chamber music concerts which led to the creation of two ensembles, the City Island Baroque Ensemble and the Israel Virtuosi. Ilan is the son of former IPO principal bassoonist Mordechai Rechtman.
Looking for adventure and the opportunity to see the world, Iris and her husband began appearing on cruise ships leaving from New York. On one cruise to South America, they fell in love with the warmth of the people of Brazil and decided to settle in Sao Paulo. Iris soon became the assistant principal cellist of the Sao Paulo Symphony. Their 3 children, sons Sebastian, Dario and daughter Thais, were born during their 7 years in Brazil.
In 2007, wanting to be closer to family, Iris and Ilan decided to move back to Israel where Iris won a position in the IPO. Her husband is now director of the music program at the Tel Aviv Museum.
In addition to music Iris's passions are chocolate and Latin dancing.