:: Ariel Lazarus official site ::

Text Box: Ariel Lazarus was born February 18, 1977 in Rehovot, Israel. His Sephardic mother is from Gibraltar and his Ashkenazi father is a first-generation Israeli, son of a Holocaust survivor. By the age of 15, he was playing the guitar, writing poetry, and teaching himself to compose songs. He went on to study at the Hed College of Contemporary Music in Tel Aviv, initially majoring in jazz guitar. He studied classical guitar with Maestro Yaron Hason a world-class classical guitarist who introduced him to the aesthetics and techniques of the classical guitar. In 1999, Lazarus received the Hed Award to record a song broadcast on major Israeli radio stations. In recognition of the broadcasts, he was inducted into the National Guild of Composers (ACUM). In the Spring 2002, a concert of his compositions for a 10-player ensemble was given in Tel Aviv. Following that he was offered a scholarship at the Oklahoma City University master’s in composition program where he studied with Dr. Edward Knight. Over the last three years in the United States, he has performed with his ensemble and other international groups in various venues in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Europe. In June 2004, Lazarus performed an orchestral suite he wrote for chamber ensemble, classical guitar and cantor as part of the tricentennial celebrations of British Gibraltar. His concert was one of three official musical events of the summer; the other two were Elton John and Suzanne Vega. The suite was dedicated to Lazarus’s grandfather Abraham Beniso, a world-renowned Sephardic cantor from Gibraltar. In April 2005, Lazarus was commissioned to write a piece for the town of Lübbecke, Germany, in memory of its Holocaust victims and survivors. Among the survivors was his great-grandfather, who was the town’s choir conductor. Lazarus premiered the piece with members of the Lübbecke Symphony Orchestra later that year. Earlier that year, Lazarus released his first CD, “Keter Malchut: Sephardic Prayers and Songs.” Under his direction, an international ensemble of 11 musicians brought to life the haunting world of sound of the Jewish communities across the Mediterranean. For more information about the recording, go to www.cdbaby.com/alazarus, or www.jewishmusic.com. December 2005 - Lazarus conducted the world premier of his first full symphony entitled "Sefarad" with members of the Oklahoma City University symphony orchestra in front of a full auditorium, following that he received the master of music degree from the Oklahoma City University. February 2007 - Lazarus preformed with the Raanana Symphonet Orchestra (RSO) one of Israel's leading orchestras. The program featured selections from the Keter Malchut CD that Lazarus arranged for the symphonic medium along with a new orchestral work:’Moroccan Dream’ that he composed especially for the occasion. January 2008 - Lazarus composed original music for the theatre production “Akiva and Rachel” following that he was commissioned to write a concerto for guitar and wind orchestra that was debut in Mat at the Budapest opera house as part of the Israel’s 60 years anniversary celebrations in Hungry. On March this year, Lazarus composed a piece for the exhibition opening of artist Max Lazarus titled “the Jewish fate of an artist” at the city museum of Trier, Germany. Ariel is currently working on his PhD in music composition at the Bar-Ilan university in Israel, while performing with his ensemble in various venues, including the Hertzeliya summer events and the prestigious “Jaffa’s nights” and “Suzanne Dalal” festivals and in Shuni fortress this March.

Text Box: Major Completed works | 1. The Gibraltar Suite for cantor, guitar, and chamber Ensemble (30”) 2. Keter for voice, flute, guitar, bass, ethnic percussion (4”) 3. Luebbecke: Serenade for trio (6”) 4. The Dance of the Bloom for string quartet (12”) 5. En El Alba for Jazz ensemble (5”) 6. Havaya: Buleria for classical/ethnic ensemble (4”) 7. The Sefarad Symphony: tone poem for chamber orchestra (32”) 8. The Painter from Westfalen: a Kleizmer improvisation for flute and band (6”) 9. Moroccan Dream for Orchestra (7”) 10. Danza Hebrea and Chucharita: dances for small ensemble 11. “Dialogue” concerto for guitar and wind orchestra 12. “Akiva and Rachel” music for theatre production 13. Episodes on a Jewish fate of an artist for guitar and violin