bio

After performing more than 4000 official concerts
throughout the world, including 200 world premieres of his own pieces, both at home and abroad, audiences and critics alike regard Gil Shohat as one of the leading world musicians and the leading Israeli musician of his generation. Forbes magazine, together with all five of Israel’s major newspapers (Yedioth Aharonoth, Ma’ariv, Ha’aretz, Jerusalem Post, and YNet) have declared Shohat to be “The most important and influential personality in classical music in Israel” in different ratings of Israeli artists. In June 2009, the French government named him a Knight in the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters.
He is the composer of over 250 musical pieces, including 9 large-scale symphonies, 15 concertos for various instruments, 4 operas, various oratorios, cantatas, solo vocal pieces, and dozens of chamber and piano pieces, as well as the performer of more than 350 concerts a year, both as a conductor and pianist.

In recent years, Shohat gathered most of his artistic activity in his own Polyphony music company, run by Haggai Koren, which has become the biggest ever classical privet institution in the history of Israel. Polyphony produces more than 500 concerts worldwide year, and creating hundreds of original productions and unique collaborations between musicians, mainly from a vast versatility of styles. Shohat sells through his company and collaboration more than half a million tickets a year, mainly in more than 35 concerts series all over the country of Israel, series which includes about 30,000 subscribers.

Shohat came to local and international attention with his opera Alpha and Omega (2001) – the largest original opera production ever staged in Israel – receiving enthusiastic reviews worldwide. This was followed by the operas Tyre and Jerusalem (2002), Badenheim (2005) and The Dreaming Child (2010); Shohat has also written musical and theater pieces for children, including the musical Max and Moritz (2004). All these compositions have enjoyed world premieres, with most receiving repeat performances throughout Israel and Europe. Alpha and Omega and The Dreaming Child were met with unparallel commercial success in the history of Israeli culture. Max and Moritz was the most performed children’s opera since it premiered.

Gil Shohat has collaborated with EMI/Virgin Classics to record his orchestrations. The Israeli Broadcast Authority made a documentary about his music, with the participation of many leading local artists. Another documentary, focusing on his opera Alpha and Omega, was produced by the French television channel “MUZZIK”. The Jerusalem Music Center commissioned, produced, and recorded his 16 Anekdotos Cycle. Israeli Director Michal Kesten produced the film “Omegas,” based on Shohat’s Alpha and Omega. Additionally, performances of his works have been recorded and broadcast by radio stations around the world, including Israel’s “Kol Hamusica”, France’s “Radio France”, Germany’s WDR, Italy’s RAI, the USA’s WFMT and Hong Kong’s National Radio.

Shohat’s works have also been performed and/or commissioned by the Venice Biennale, the Royal Palace Music Festival in Stockholm, the Cappella Amsterdam, the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, the Music Festival of Macedonia, the Royal Palace Music Festival (Sweden), the Hermitage Festival, the Perugia Music-Fest, Hong Kong City Hall, the International Ankara Music Festival, the Treptow Arena in Berlin, the Gillette Stadium (Boston, USA), the Emilia Romagna Festival, the Vermont Mozart Festival (USA), the Roque d’Antheron Piano Festival (France), the Ruhr Piano Festival (Germany), the Jewish Music Festival of London, the International Music Festival of Yugoslavia, and the Dominican Republic Philharmonic International Festival, the Portland Quartet, the Amarcord ensemble. Performances and commissions in Israel include the Israel Festival, the International Chamber Music Festival in Jerusalem, the Upper Galilee Chamber Music Festival, the Keshet Eilon International Master Course for Violinists, Tel Hai International Master Classes for Pianists, and ICO’s Classic-Chamber Festival in Eilat. Numerous worldwide ensembles of contemporary music have commissioned and performed his works, such as Conjunto Iberico (Spain), Mussica d’Oggi (Italy), Matisse Ensemble (Italy), and Musica Nova (Israel). Additionally, Shohat has written large-scale theater pieces for the Beit Lessin and Cameri Theaters in Tel Aviv.

Gil Shohat was born in Israel in 1973. He began his musical studies at the age of 7, and by 12 was composing and performing his own piano pieces. Shohat’s first orchestral composition – a cantata, The Nightingale and the Rose – was commissioned by the Israel Chamber Orchestra when he was just 18. He is a graduate of the Israel Conservatory of Music, Tel Aviv (1984-1990). He received his first and second degrees (BM, MM) from the Mehta-Buchman School of Music at Tel Aviv University (1991-1995) and holds two post-graduate diplomas of a three year course Specialization (Perfezionamento)) in Piano and Composition from the prestigious Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome (1995-1997). The latter degree was given to him with a distinction and the grade of 100, which was only the third time in the 200 year history of the Academy. He pursued advanced studies with Prof. Alexander Goehr of Cambridge University in England (1997-1998). All of his degrees were awarded summa cum laude. Most of Shohat’s compositions are published by the CASA RICORDI Editions, which he joined at the age of 23 – the youngest composer in the company’s history. His composition teachers included Andre Hadju in Israel and Azio Corghi, Ivan Vandor, and Luciano Berio in Italy. His piano teachers were Rachel Feinstein and Arie Vardi in Israel, Sergio Perticaroli in Italy, and Maria Curcio in England. His conducting teachers were Stanley Sperber and John Nelson.Gil Shohat has won many prizes and accolades, including the Israel Conservatory Prize (1989), Rubin Israel Music Academy Prize (1993), the Italian Government Grant for Advanced Studies (1995-1996), and the British Council Award (1997). He has been awarded grants by the American-Israel Cultural Foundation (1990-1998), the Bracha Foundation (2001), the Rich Foundation (2001, 2005, 2007), and the Rabinovich Tel Aviv Foundation for the Arts (2001-2007). He received first prize for composition from the Arthur Rubinstein International Society, his work becoming the obligatory piano piece for contestants in the International Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition (1998). He is a laureate of Israel’s Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Foundation (2001). He received the Tel Aviv Prize for the Performing Arts – Rosenblum Prize (2002) and the Israel Theater Prizes for “the most significant event of the year” for his opera Alpha and Omega (2002), as well composer of the year (2004). He won the Prime Minister’s Prize for composition (2003). He has received a prize and a commission from the Zfunot Tarbut Foundation for the Promotion of Art and Artists in Israel in 2006-2007. Won twice the Israeli lottery (Mifal haPais) prize for composition (2015, 2016). His sponsors include the Safra Group in Switzerland, Motorola Israel, Mr. Murray Pepper (Los Angeles), Mrs. Susan Rose (New York City), and the prestigious Soli Deo Gloria Foundation in Chicago. Gil Shohat is a chosen artist of Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence) since 2004. In 2012, Gil Shohat the prestigious Landau Prize for Performing Arts, given by the Mif’al Hapais Israel.

As a pianist, Shohat performs dozens of concerts a year and has given recitals and solo performances with orchestras in 25 nations, including most European capitals, the Far East, India, and the Americas. In Israel, he performed his first recital at age 12; by age 16 Shohat had performed as a soloist with every major national orchestra, including the Israel Philharmonic. Along with a selection of his peers, Shohat established a group of young piano virtuosi who have undertaken a series of performance “marathons”. These have included the complete piano repertoire of Chopin (2002-2004), the complete piano repertoire of Schumann (2004-2006), the complete Scriabin sonatas (2004), major piano works by Rachmaninoff (2006), and the complete partitas by Bach (2007). Shohat has recorded 10 CDs as a pianist with Israel’s Helicon and NMC labels.

Gil Shohat has been a visiting professor/artist at several music academies and universities worldwide, including The Harvard University, Princeton University, Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, The American University (Washington DC), the National Academy Santa Cecilia (Rome), University of Georgia (US), Iceland Academy of Music, Bucknell University (Pennsylvania), Kutztown University (Pennsylvania), and the Belgrade Music Academy.

In addition, Shohat is a sought-after lecturer in his country. He was teaching musical composition at Tel Aviv University (the Mehta School of Music) between 1998 and 2008, and teaches at the Cathedra Advanced Studies and at Israel’s Open University (“Ascolot”), where he has developed and taught over 95 courses in 27 years. In Tel Aviv alone, he collaborates with cultural centers such as Heichal hatarbut, the Diaspora Museum, the Zionist Organization of America, the Ayala Zaks House, the Lev and Khen Cinema Chains, the Cinematheque, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Eretz Israel Museum. He has served as the editor and moderator of the Piano Series of the Chamber Music Center at the Israeli Conservatory of Music.

He is the artistic director of the Lecture-Recital Series which has been held in cities such as Haifa, Caesarea, Ashdod, Raanana, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. This series has included full courses on subjects such as: The History of Western Music; Bach’s Piano Music; Bach’s Oratorios; Requiems from Scarlatti to Penderecki; Haydn Symphonies; Mozart Chamber Music; Mozart Piano Music; Beethoven’s Symphonies; Beethoven’s Chamber Music; Beethoven’s Sonatas; Chamber Music and Lieder by Brahms and Schubert; the Complete Operas by Verdi, Puccini, Wagner and Strauss; Mahler’s Complete Symphonies; French Music in the 19th Century; French Impressionist Music; Second and Third Viennese Schools; Schoenberg and his Contemporaries; Music Between the World Wars; Contemporary Music; Contemporary Operas; Post-Serial Music; Electronic Music; and Avant-Garde Jazz Compositions.

Shohat’s projects that go beyond the concert-music world include: 7 Grand Pianos, Shohat-Ptashka Piano Duo Show (Jazz, with the world-renowned Leonid Ptashka); Shohat-Khan Piano-Tabla Duo (Indian Music, with the tabla player Akram Khan); the Vilensky Project (Israeli Folk Music); Pink Floyd’s The Wall – an adaptation with the Israel Chamber Orchestra, choir and soloists (Rock); Pink Floyd’s Dark side of the moon – a large scale version with 200 musicians, French Chansons with Tilda Rajoan and the Israel Chamber Orchestra, The Vilensky-Mozart Project with pop star Nurit Galron, soul and Jewish music with pop star David De’or, Piano duo with pop star Shlomi Shaban, and other collaborations with rock, pop, and musical singers such as Rita, Rami Klainshtein, Sarit Hadad, Miri Mesika, Boaz Sharabi, Matti Caspi, Shlomo Gronich, Keren Peles, Kobi Aflalo, Nurit Galron, Harel Skaat, Miki Kam, Moshe Peters, Yardena Arazi, Avi Kushnir, Sasi Keshet, Rama Mesinger, Achino’am Nini (Noa), Marina Maximilian-Blumin, Mira Awad, Shlomit Aharon, Eli Gorenstein, Riki Gal, Gali Atari.

In 2008, Shohat founded two ensembles: The Israel Soloists, a string ensemble based in Berlin that comprises Israeli and international string players; and the Israel Festival Orchestra – Elysium Ensemble, led by 12 prominent musicians in Israel. Since 2008, shohat is the Artistic Director of the “Sounds of Youth” Festival of the city of Holon. This Festival is the leading music festival for children in Israel. Since 2003, he is the Musical Advisor and Head of Music of the world-renowned Israel Festival in Jerusalem. In 2008, the renowned conductor Valery Gergiev appointed Shohat the Artistic Advisor of Red Sea International Classical Music Festival. Shohat is also the Musical Director of the Ein Hod “Maestro” Festival, an annual classical music festival during the Shavuot holiday in an artists’ village in northern Israel. In early 2009, he was also named the Chief Music Director of the new Kiryat Motzkin Theater, the largest, most prestigious, and most active theater and concert hall in northern Israel. In 2009, after a successful tour in Asia as pianist, Gil Shohat was nominated as the Artistic Director of a new Chopin Series organized by the Philharmonic Association of the FCCH (Forbidden City Concert Hall) in Beijing, China. In 2013, Gil Shohat was brought on to establish a new orchestra in the city of Herzliya, Israel. Today he is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the new Herzliya Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is the artistic director of a successful series of outdoor concerts, Herzliya Park Summer Music Festival, that includes weekly orchestral concerts in an outdoor park with an attendance of tens of thousands of audience members.

In 2011, Gil Shohat launched his own production company, Polyphony Ltd., which has become one of the most active and prolific classical music production companies in Israel, producing full-scale series and artistic management for the following venues: Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center – Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv Museum Concert Series, Jerusalem Theater, Haifa Congress Center Conference Series, Herzliya Performing Arts Center, Kiryat Motzkin Theater, Or Akiva Performing Arts Center, Ganei Tikva Performing Arts Center, Ein Gedi Performing Arts Center, Kfar Shemaryahu Concert Hall, Raanana Performing Arts Center, the Holon Mediatheque’ Drom HaSharon Performing Arts Center, Airport City Performing Arts Center, Beer Sheva Performing Arts Center, Bat Yam Performing Arts Center, Kfar Saba Performing Arts Center, Modiin Performing Arts Center and The Edmond The Rothschild Center. In addition, Polyphony fully produces and provides artistic direction for the following festivals: Herzliya Park Summer Concert Series, Beresheet (Genesis) Music Festival in Mitzpe Ramon (together with the Isrotel hotel chain), Jaffa Port Music Festival, the Tel Aviv Museum Afternoon Music Series, Tel Aviv Einav Center for Advanced Culture, Yavne Cultural Center, Rehovot Cultural Center and Yad Labanim Center, and Carmiel Performing Arts Center.

Starting in the 2004-2005 season, Gil Shohat became the youngest ever musical director of an Israeli orchestra after he received an appointment as Musical Director and Chief Conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra (Until 2008). With the orchestra Shohat performed more than forty concerts a year as a conductor. Since 2001, he was the Resident Composer of the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion and the Artistic Director and host of their chamber music series (Until 2005). During his military service (1991-1994), Shohat served as the coordinator and commander of the Israel Defense Forces Chamber Orchestra and ensembles, as well as the official concert pianist of the IDF. In the same period he also served as editor and moderator of a concert series for young artists at the Jerusalem Music Center, and the Presenter of the International Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition (1992 and 1995). He received his first official position as the resident composer of the Israel Chamber Orchestra.