Ella Milch-Sheriff

Ella Milch-Sheriff
Born Haifa, Israel

Ella Milch-Sheriff (Hebrew: אלה מילך-שריף) is an Israeli composer. Born in Haifa, Israel, Milch-Sheriff began her career as a composer at the age of 12. During her military service she composed, performed and interpreted her own songs after which she returned to classical music studying composition under the direction of Professor Tzvi Avni and graduating in composition from the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University.[1]

Milch-Sheriff has composed operas, chamber, orchestral and vocal music as well as popular music and solo works.

Career

Her newest piece, "Night's End Anthem" based on Roy Arad's poem for Soloists, Chorus and Symphony orchestra was commissioned and premiered by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Maestro Zubin Mehta in July 2009 at the season's final concert series.

"Can Heaven be Void", a work for Narrator, Mezzo-Soprano & Orchestra based upon the diary of Ella’s father, written during World War II was first performed in Israel in 2003 and has been since translated into a number of languages.

Her string quartet "Songs from the Edge", for mezzo-soprano and string quartet, premiered by the Audubon Quartet in the United States in July 2006.

Her opera "And the Rat laughed" based on Nava Semel's book was programmed in the Cameri Theatre and Israel Chamber Orchestra’s annual series for the 4th season and recently had its 70th performance. The opera toured Poland and Romania and will have new productions in Toronto, Canada in November 2009.

In June 2007 her new large-scale work "Dark am I…" for singers and instrumental ensemble, based on text taken from "The Song of Solomon" had its premiere at the Israeli festival 2007. The text is sung in seven languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese, It is scored for four singers - soprano solo with a Greek-tragedy-like chorus o counter-tenor, tenor and bass-baritone - and a small orchestra: violin, viola, cello. double bass, flute with sections for piccolo and alto flute, oboe with sections for English horn. French horn, piano, and one percussionist on a broad battery of instruments.[2]

Her new opera "Flying Lesson" based on Nava Semel's libretto and book will have its premiere in December 2009 as a co-production between the Cameri Theatre and the Israeli Opera.

Her first piano concerto was premiered in October 2008 at the opening season concert of the Israel Sinfonietta Beer-Sheva.

Future projects

Milch-Sheriff has been commissioned to compose a new chamber opera by the opera house of Braunschweig, Germany to be premiered on February 25, 2010. The opera, sung in the German language, is entitled Baruchs Schweigen ("Baruch's Silence").[3] See Website of the Staatstheater Braunschweig

Awards

In 2005, Ella Milch-Sheriff was awarded the prestigious “Israeli Prime-Minister Prize” for her compositional works and the same year, her opera, "And the Rat Laughed” conceived with Nava Semel and based on her book received the “Rosenblume Prize” for achievement.[1][4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Israeli Composer To Deliver Lecture Titled "Composing the Holocaust"". Library of Congress. May 3, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Dark Am I ...".
  3. ↑ "Baruchs Schweigen (Baruch's Silence)".
  4. ↑ "Ein Lied für meinen Vater". Goethe Institut Jerusalem. November 27, 2008.

External links