Eitan Avitsur

Born in Jerusalem, 1941. He started his musical career as a conductor of high school ensembles and as a composer. He completed his professional education at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and at the Mozarteum of Salzburg where he specialized in advaced conducting. He has conducted all the important orchestras of Israel in concerts, recordings for the Israeli radio and television and for commercial records. He was one of the founders of the Natanya orchestra in 1973, performing with it programs of mainly Israeli contemporary music. He was also the permanent conductor of Tel-Aviv orchestra in the years 1973-76. Besides his career as a conductor Avitsur is also a well known composer. His list of compositions includes more than 300 works, among them oratorios, cantatas, symphonies, chambre music, background music for about 200 movies and T.V. programs, and arrangements. Most of them have been successfully performed. Many have been commissioned by cultural agencies in Israel and abroad. He has taught at Bar-Ilan university since 1972 and is now a professor of music in the department of music. In 1990 he founded the Electro-Acoustic Music Program, of which project he is still in charge. He established the Computer Music Laboratory which today is considered the most advanced of its kind in Israel. In 1987 he was appointed conductor of the Jerusalem Youth Orchestra. Under his guidance the orchestra has achieved a very important role in Israel's musical life, performing educational youth concerts, world premiers of Israeli compositions, recordings for the Israel TV and radio, and various festival concerts, enhancing important official events in Jerusalem. Avitsur toured for many years with his orchestra in Europe and The USA, and many excellent reviews attest to his growing success.