What age did you begin playing a musical instrument?
I started playing the recorder at age 8, and the bassoon when I was 14 years old.

What age did you understand that you wish to pursue a musical career?
When I was 24 years old, after serving as an officer in the intelligence of the IDF, and after studying Natural Sciences and thinking of going to medicine, I’ve decided to pursue a career as a musician, and I applied, and got accepted, to The Juilliard School in New York.

Name an unforgettable moment with the IPO
An unforgettable moment with the IPO, one of many, was a concert of a woodwind quintet from the orchestra in Aqaba (Jordan), in the presence of the king and queen of Jordan, Hussein and Noor, and the Sultan of Oman Qaboos. Before playing, I gave a short welcoming speech in Arabic.

What do you love to do off stage?
Off stage, I have several hobbies: I swim, walk and run to long distances, play chess, write poems and songs (texts), research in both fields of music and literature, play with the “Cane” trio (oboe, clarinet and bassoon), and I initiate commissions of new pieces for bassoon, perform and record them with different ensembles. Until now I have commissioned and performed numerous new pieces.

Which kind of music would we find on your playlist?
I love listening to chamber music with strings and piano, Lieder, symphonic pieces, Israeli songs, and ballads in English.

What is the special significance of the IPO to you/Why did you want to be part of the IPO?
Since I was young I dreamt of playing with the IPO. Being a part of the next generation of those who made this dream come true; Huberman, Toscanini, and the first orchestra members. In my opinion, the orchestra is the beautiful face of the state of Israel. The orchestra of the Jewish nation, an advocator of peace and beauty, which projects it to the global community regardless of religion, race, gender and sector.

Did you acquire any new skills during the pandemic?
The new skills I have acquired during the pandemic:
I took a script-writing course
Participated in chess workshops
Recorded a few pieces with musicians for far places
Spent time on musical research
Performed with my trio in several Covid-safe house concerts
Participated in concerts at the Mormon University in Jerusalem and in the Israeli Music Week. Both were online broadcasts

How can we keep classical music and live performances relevant in the digital era?
The orchestra needs to adapt itself to the digital era, by promoting online broadcasts of live and recorded concerts to our subscribers and the public, the same way we do these days. We need to maintain our presence on the different social media platforms, and try to expand our presence in the general media. The orchestra also needs to devote its time to perform and commission new music.

Something you wish to share about yourself?
I’m married to Edna, a textile designer and an expert of manual weaving, and a proud father to Noam, 26, a student majoring in medicine and computer science, Amit, 22, who is a 3D and digital designer, and Roi, 22, who is a composer and designer.