Bronislaw Huberman Dies
Known as one of the most cherished violinists of his generation, and one of the greatest Jewish musicians of all time, Bronislaw Huberman passed away at his home in Switzerland at the age of 64.
Singer Zohar Argov Kills Himself
November 6, 1987 Zohar Argov, a popular singer among the Mizrahi and Mediterranean communities in Israel who was known as the “The King” but was haunted by drug addiction, hangs himself in jail at age…
Composer Andre Hajdu Dies
August 1, 2016 Andre Hajdu, a prolific composer and ethnomusicologist, dies at age 84 in Jerusalem. Hajdu was born in Hungary on March 5, 1932. After displaying an early aptitude for music and the arts,…
Singer Arik Einstein Dies at 74
November 26, 2013 Arik Einstein, one of Israel’s most beloved singers and songwriters, dies of an aortic aneurysm in Tel Aviv at age 74. The national outpouring of grief includes a gathering of thousands of…
Musician Shmulik Kraus Dies
February 17, 2013 Shmulik Kraus dies from swine flu in Tel Aviv at age 77 after a long career as one of Israel’s most influential musicians. Kraus was born in Jerusalem on July 1, 1935,…
Daniel Barenboim Is Named Musical Director of La Scala Opera House
Israeli composer Daniel Barenboim is named musical director of the prestigious La Scala Opera House in Milan, Italy.
Israeli Jazz Festival Opens in New York
Acclaimed jazz artist John Zorn hosts the first annual Israeli Jazz Festival at “The Stone,” his New York City venue.
Hatikvah Officially Declared National Anthem
November 10, 2004 More than half a century after the founding of the state of Israel, the Knesset officially adopts “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”) as the national anthem. The song became the anthem of the Zionist…
Musician Naomi Shemer Dies
June 26, 2004 Israel Prize-winning musician Naomi Shemer, best known for writing “Jerusalem of Gold,” dies at age 73 at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv after a long battle with cancer. Born in 1930 at…
Songwriter Meir Ariel Dies
July 18, 1999 Singer-songwriter Meir Ariel, 57, known as the “Man of Words” for his poetic Hebrew lyrics, dies of Mediterranean spotted fever transmitted by a tick. He is buried at Kibbutz Mishmarot, where he…
Dana International Wins Eurovision
May 9, 1998 Dana International wins the Eurovision Song Contest, becoming the third Israeli and the first since 1979 to do so, with her performance of the techno-pop song “Diva” in Birmingham, England. Her victory…
Composer Menachem Avidom Dies
Famed Israeli Composer Menachem Avidom, whose compositions help lay the groundwork for future Mizrahi and Sephardic (Middle Eastern Jewish) music in Israel, passes away in Tel Aviv.
Nightclub Owner Aris San Dies
July 25, 1992 Aris San, who popularized Greek music in Israel, mysteriously dies at age 52 while living in Budapest. His quick cremation and past connections to organized crime at his nightclubs contribute to conspiracy…
Israeli Idol Hagit Yaso Born
Singer Hagit Yaso, a winner of Israel’s version of “American Idol,” is born in Sderot to parents who escaped poor conditions in an Ethiopian village by walking four months through the desert to reach Sudan and fly to Israel.
Opera Star Edis De Philippe Dies
July 5, 1979 Israel National Opera Company founder Edis De Philippe dies at age 67 after brain surgery. A New York native, De Philippe studied music, ballet and half a dozen languages before committing to…
Israel’s “Hallelujah” Wins Eurovision Song Contest
The 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, an annual competition between member countries of the European Broadcasting Union, is held in Jerusalem.
Singer Idan Raichel Is Born
September 12, 1977 Singer, composer and producer Idan Raichel is born in Kfar Saba, Israel. His music incorporates Israeli, Middle Eastern, Ethiopian and other international sounds. Lacking family musical roots, he takes up the accordion…
Music Star Udi Davidi Is Born
April 25, 1975 Singer-songwriter-musician Ehud “Udi” Davidi is born. He grows up in Kedumim, a settlement established in the northern West Bank by the Gush Emunim movement, and is active in the Bnei Akiva youth…
Conductor Otto Klemperer Dies
July 6, 1973 Otto Klemperer, a legendary German Jewish conductor and composer, dies at 88 at home in Zurich. Born in 1885 in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), Klemperer began playing music at age 4….
Singer Eyal Golan Is Born
April 12, 1971 Singer Eyal Golan is born Eyal Biton in Rehovot, Israel, to a family of Yemenite and Moroccan Jewish ancestry. He lives in Rehovot until 2010, when he moves to Tel Aviv. Known…
Writer-Musician Assaf Gavron Is Born
December 21, 1968 Assaf Gavron, a writer and musician, is born in Arad to English immigrants. Gavron spends his childhood in Motza Illit, near Jerusalem. He studies media and communication at Goldsmiths’ College in London…
Mount Scopus Concert Takes Place
A packed audience fills the amphitheater on Mount Scopus to celebrate the end of the June 1967 War and to mark the cultural unification of Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem of Gold” Premieres at Israel Song Festival
The Voice of Israel Song Festival was created in 1960 as part of Israel’s Independence Day celebration and as an opportunity to showcase Israel’s emerging culture.
Singer Ofra Haza Is Born
November 19, 1957 Singer Ofra Haza, the youngest of nine children, is born in Tel Aviv to a family who had emigrated from Yemen. Haza grows up in the impoverished Hatikvah Quarter, where she is…
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