Impresariat Simmenauer

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The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy, Avi Avital has been compared to Andres Segovia for his championship of his instrument and to Jascha Heifitz for his incredible virtuosity. Passionate and “explosively charismatic” (New York Times) in live performance, he is a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin repertory. More than 100 contemporary compositions have been written for him, 15 of them concertos including by Anna Clyne, Avner Dorman and Giovanni Sollima, which will be premiered in 2019/20. Enhanced by his infectious spirit of adventure and the warm rapport he fosters with his audience, Avital’s championship of his instrument is taking the mandolin centre stage.

Increasingly in demand as a concerto soloist, Avital’s has performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tonhalle Zurich, Israel Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Residentie Orkest, Norwegian Radio, Orpheus, The Knights, Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under conductors such as Mehta, Nagano, Vänskä, Sado, Jonathan Cohen, McGegan, Koopman and Antonini.

He is a regular presence at major festivals such as Aspen, Salzburg, Tanglewood, Spoleto, Ravenna, MISA Shanghai, Cheltenham and Verbier and he was Portrait Artist at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in 2017. He subsequently curated a weekend Zeitsinsel at the Dortmund Konzerthaus with 4 programmes featuring classical, jazz and improvisations and a new collaboration with the Venice Baroque Orchestra and Georgian puppet theatre, Budrugana Gagra.

„The words “superstar” and “mandolinist” still look odd next to each other. Yet in the classical world they are starting to be joined with some frequency [...] Avi Avital [...] was nothing short of electric.”New York Times • Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim • March 12th, 2015

Highlights of his 2019/20 season include the world première of Giovanni Sollima’s Mandolin Concerto with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI whilst other concerto engagements bring him to the Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Zurich Tonhalle Orchester, Staatskapelle Weimar, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and he tours the US with Les Violons du Roy. He tours Europe and Asia with Avital meets Avital, begins a new collaboration with Giovanni Sollima “Mediterraneo” and is featured as Portrait Artist at Bozar in Brussels.

Born in Be’er Sheva in southern Israel, Avital began learning the mandolin at the age of eight and soon joined the flourishing mandolin youth orchestra founded and directed by his charismatic teacher, Russian-born violinist Simcha Nathanson. He studied at the Jerusalem Music Academy and the Conservatorio Cesare Pollini in Padua with Ugo Orlandi. Winner of Israel’s prestigious Aviv Competition in 2007, Avital is the first mandolinist in the history of the competition to be so honoured. He plays on a mandolin made by Israeli luthier Arik Kerman.

2019 / 2020

This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.

Contact: Katja Szarka

2021 / 2022

"ROOTS"
with Giovanni Sollima (Cello)

Trad. Sephardic: Yo en la prision

Trad. Turkish: Nacyem Nacyem

Trad. Macedonian: Ako Umran il Zaginam

Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata K. 89 in re minore

Giovanni Sollima: Improvisation / Cello solo

Giovanni Sollima: “Federico II” from “Viaggio in Italia”

Giovanni Sollima: “Alep Pesce” from “Il Bestiario di Leonardo”

Dario Castello: Quarta Sonata

Eliodoro Sollima: Tarantella Orientale (1939)

Trad. Bulgarian /A. Avital: Prelude and “Bucimis”

Girolamo Frescobaldi: Canzon Terza (Venezia, 1635)

Trad. Sephardic: Una ora

Trad. Salento: Fronni D’Alia

“ROOTS” is a mix of style and eras; from Klezmer to Sicilian Arbëreshë, from Sacred to Profane, from the dance to North Africa, from the music that has been part of their private. And improvisation.

Duo
with Omer Klein (Jazz piano)

Works by Omer Klein and Avi Avital

***

Bach: Partita No. 2 in D minor (orig. for violin solo) BWV 1004 in dialogue with jazz improvisation by Omer Klein

Music by Johann Sebastian Bach, jazz compositions by Omer Klein, Israeli songs and improvisation on them – there are no limits to what music can be played here.

Duo
with Anneleen Lenaersts (Harp)

Beethoven: Sonatina for Mandolin and Harpsichord in C minor WoO 43a

Beethoven: Adagio for Mandolin and Harpsichord WoO 43b

Beethoven: Sonatina for Mandolin and Harpsichord in C major WoO 44a

De Falla: Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas

Smetana: The Moldau (Harp Solo)

Bartók: Romanian folk dances

Schubert: Ständchen

Sollima: Prelude (Mandolin Solo)

Lavri: Three Jewish dances

Duo
with Olga Pashchenko (Harpsichord)

Scarlatti: Sonata for Mandolin and Basso continuo G major K91

Valentini: for Mandolin and Basso continuo in A minor

Beethoven: Andante con variazioni for Mandolin and Fortepiano D major WoO 44/2

Vivaldi: Sonata for Mandolin and Basso continuo C major F.XVI

***

Bach: Chaconne from Partita for Violin Solo no. 2 D minor BWV 1004 (arrangement for mandolin)

Bach: Sonata for Flute and obbligato Harpsichord in E minor BWV 1034 (arrangement for mandolin)

Duo
with Ksenija Sidorova (Accordion)

Kreisler: Prelude and Allegro – in the style of Gaetano Pugnani

Mozart: Sonata No. 21 in E minor KV 304 (original for Violin and Piano)

Stravinsky: Suite Italienne from “Pulcinella” (original for Violoncello and Piano)

***

Villa-Lobos: Bachiana Brasilieras No. 5 / Aria

de Falla: Siete canciones populares españolas

Bartók: Romanian folk dances

Budashkin: Concerto for Mandolin in A minor

Between worlds
with Ksenija Sidorova (Accordion) and Itamar Doari (Percussion)

Works by Bach and Kreisler, Bartók’s Romanian folk dances, Georgian folk plays by Tsintsadze, Bachianas Brasileiras by Villa-Lobos, traditional Turkish, Israeli and Bulgarian plays.

Orchestral works
with Il Pomo D'Oro

1 - 19 December 2021

Naples and the mandolin are a synonym for each other. In this program Avi Avital and the Italian Baroque orchestra Il Pomo d’Oro present compositions from the 18th century by Piasello, Barbella and Scarlatti, as well as Neapolitan folklore music of the same period.

2020 / 2021

String Quartet
with Brooklyn Rider (String Quartet)

Intense times wit Yo-Yo Ma´s Silk Road Ensemble and The Knights link Avi Avital to the unique string quartet Brooklyn Rider. In spring of 2021, they reunite with new works and arrangements for mandolin and string quartet at hand.

An evening celebrating fearless musical innovators through the shared interpretive lens of virtuoso mandolinist Avi Avital and the omnivorous string quartet Brooklyn Rider.

New commissions, arrangements, and interpretations of music by J.S. Bach, Luigi Boccherini, Colin Jacobsen, Matana Roberts, Philip Glass, Giovanni Sollima, John Zorn and Osvaldo Golijov.

Duo
with Omer Klein (Jazz Piano)

Music by J.S. Bach, Jazz compositions by Omer Klein, Israeli songs and improvising on it – this is unlimited music-making.

Duo
with Ksenija Sidorova (Accordion)

Kreisler: Prelude and Allegro – in the style of Gaetano Pugnani Mozart: Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K 304
Stravinsky: Suite Italienne from “Pulcinella”
Bach: Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 Rachmaninov: “Vocalise”, Op. 34 No. 14

Kusiakov: “Autumn Landscapes” Budashkin: Concert for Mandolin in A minor

Orchestral
with Il Pomo d'Oro orchestra

Naples and the mandolin are synonymous to each other. In this program Avi Avital and the Italian Baroque Orchestras Il Pomo d’Oro will present original music for mandolin from 18th century Naples, along side Napolitain Folklore music form the same time.

The program will includes pieces by: Domenico Scarlatti, Emanuelle Barbella, Giovanni Paisiello and more.

Between Worlds
with Ksenija Sidorova (Accordion) and Itamar Doari (Percussion)

Works by Bach and Kreisler, Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, Georgian Folk Tunes by Sulkhan Tsintsadze, Bachianas Brasileiras by Villa-Lobos, traditional Turkish, Israeli and Bulgarian music.

Avital meets Avital

Omer Avital
Zamzama
Lonely Girl
Ana Maghrebi
Ballad For Eli
Maroc
Hijazain

Avi Avital
Avi's Song
Prelude

Moshe Wilenski
The Source And The Sea (Balada Al Maayan Ve`Yam)

Omer Avital - Double bass, Oud
Jonathan Avishai - Piano
Itamar Doari - Percussion

Deutsche Grammophon, 2017

Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto in A minor, RV 356
Concerto in D major, RV 93
Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV 425
Largo from Concerto in C major, RV 443
Trio Sonata in C major, RV 82
Concerto in G minor, RV 315, "Summer" from "The Four Seasons"

Juan Diego Florez - Tenor
Mahan Esfahani - Harpsichord
Ophira Zakai - Lute
Patrick Sepec - Cello
Venice Baroque Orchestra

Deutsche Grammophon, 2015

Between Worlds

Tsintsadze: Sachidao; Miniatures on Georgian Folk Themes
Bartók: 6 Romanian Dances
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5
Piazzolla: Fugy y misterio
Falla: Siete canciones populares espanolas
Monti: Csardas
Bloch: Nigun from Baal Shem
Chaim: Freilach Ron (klezmer improvisation)
Dvorak: Vivace ma non troppo from String Quartet No. 12
Traditionals: Bucimis; Hen Ferchetan

Richard Galliano - Accordion
Giora Feidman - Clarinet

Deutsche Grammophon, 2014

Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for Mandolin and Strings BWV 1041, 1052, 1056
Sonata BWV 1034 for Mandolin and Basso Continuo

Kammerakademie Potsdam

Deutsche Grammophon, 2012