<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-8472" src="http://ipoold.local/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/אסף-מעוז.jpg" alt="Asaf Maoz" width="750" height="440" />Born in Israel in 1979, Asaf Maoz is a graduate of the Talma Yellin School of the Arts, the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv,  and the Rostock Hochschule für Musik, Germany, where he studied with such eminent teachers as Ahuva Driblat, Simon Yerushevich, Ora Shiran and Axel Wilczok.

He regularly appears in festivals, such as Apple hill “Playing for Peace”, Verbier in Switzerland, Jerusalem International Chamber Music, Festival de Bellerive in Switzerland and Music in the Desert Festival, Sde Boker, Israel. He was a member of the “Capital dance orchestra” that plays mainly swing music.

Asaf Maoz served in the IDF as a distinguished musician. He has won several competitions and scholarships from the America-Israel Foundation, Yehudi Menuhin’s “Live Music Now” and the Fundación Barenboim-Said.

During 2004-2013 he resided in Berlin where he was a member of the “Komische Oper Berlin” (Asisstant concertmaster), the “Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin” (concertmaster and principal 2nd violin), the “Tel Aviv Soloists ensemble” and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (concertmaster and principal 2nd violin). He has been a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Maestro Daniel Barenboim 2000-2012 (Principal 2nd violin). In 2006-2007 he has served as Principal 2nd violin in the German “Bielefelder Philharmoniker”.

Since October 2013 he is a member of the Israel Philharmonic orchestra. In his leisure time he enjoys playing tennis, chess, listen to music and walks along the beach.

Saida Bar-Lev grew up in Switzerland and began studying the violin at the age of 8 with Margarita Karafilova. At 14 she entered the Lausanne Conservatory, where she studied with Christine Sorensen. A year later she joined the violin class of prof. Tibor Varga, and performed with him in several chamber concerts at his summer festival in switzerland. In 1988, she won the First Prize at the Jeunesse Musicale Competition in Lausanne. she has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Switzerland, including the Swiss Italian Radio Orchestra and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.

In 1990, she settled in Israel where she studied with Haim Taub. She joined the First violins section of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1990-91 season. In Israel she has appeared as soloist with the Ramat Gan Chamber Orchestra and the Tel Aviv University Orchestra and has appeared in chamber concerts with members of the IPO in Israel and abroad. She has also appeared in many recitals in Switzerland and Germany with her father, pianist Assaf Bar-Lev.

Sharon Cohen, member of the First Violin section of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been a long time member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, directed by Daniel Barenboim, where she leads the second violin section.

Her work with the WEDO has also included chamber music appearances at prestigious international festivals, including Salzburg, the BBC Proms and Rolandsek in Germany. She also represents the IPO in chamber concerts in Tel Aviv and around the world.

A founding member of A Far Cry, a leading chamber orchestra in the USA, she also spearheaded its education team. Her recordings include four albums with A Far Cry along with a solo appearance on its first album Debut, and many recordings with the West Eastern Divan Orchestra.

She completed her master’s degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston and her undergraduate studies at The Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance. This is her first appearance as soloist with the IPO.

Watch an interview with Sharon <a href="http://members.ipo.co.il/en/interviews/36"><strong>here</strong></a>

Polina Kozhevnikov joined the IPO in 2007, and within one year won a position in the first violin section.  Polina was born in Moscow, began playing violin at the age of 6 and studied at the Gnessin School for Talented Children with Valentina Korolkova.  When she was 15, her family immigrated to Salt Lake City, in the United States and later settled in Oklahoma.  Although she is from a long line of physicists on both her father’s and her mother’s side, she is the first musician in the family.

Polina completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the Indiana University with professors Nelli Shkolnikova and Miriam Fried.  Her string quartet won the Kuttner Quartet competition in 2001. She continued her Master’s studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with William Preucil, the Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Polina participated in the Verbier Festival, Aspen Festival, the Boulder Music Festival, Sarasota Chamber Music Festival, and was concertmaster of the orchestras of the Spoleto Music Festival and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestral Institute in Attergau.

While being on tour in Israel Polina was fascinated by the country and decided to audition for the IPO. The audition firmly established Polina’s place among the orchestra’s young and ambitious next generation players.