Biography
Jonathan Keren is an Israeli award-winning composer and versatile performer.
Keren is an award-winner from the Koussevitzky Foundation at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC (2007), Prime Minister's prize in Composition (2012) and AKUM's “Achievement of The Year in Composition” prize in Israel (2011), a recipient of ASCAP’s Young Composers’ Award prize (2004) and scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation in violin and composition (1997-2003).
"Shifts between states of sublime mysticism & catastrophic wildness"
New York Times Online
Jonathan
is a graduate with a Bachelor's and Master’s degree in composition from The
Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Milton Babbit (2004-2006) and Samuel
Adler (2000-2004).
Mr. Keren's works have been widely performed in Europe, the US and the Far
East; at Carnegie’s Weill Hall; Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall and the Rose
Theatre at Jazz in Lincoln Center in New York; the Louvre Museum in Paris; The
Berlin Philharmonie Hall; The Juilliard School and New England Conservatory;
Contemporary Music Festival at Tanglewood; The Tel-Aviv Museum and Opera House,
Jerusalem Music Center and Henry Crown Hall in Israel.
His music has been performed by such artists as cellists Lynn Harrell; Violist Samuel Rhodes of the Juilliard String Quartet; Violinist Guy Braunstein; Mandolinist Avi Avital; pianists James Tocco, Steven Beck, Matan Porat and David Greilsammer; Percadu; the Tel-Aviv Trio; Geneva Chamber Orchestra; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Israeli Chamber Orchestra; String Orchestra of New York City and The Tel Aviv Soloists; Fifth-House Ensemble Chicago; Shuffle Concert; The New Juilliard Ensemble, Kaprizma Ensemble, Israeli Contemporary Players, Meitar Ensemble, The Israeli Chamber Project, and the Fountain Chamber Music Society, of which he was the Composer in Residence (2001-2007).
Jonathan is a winner of the New Juilliard Ensemble competition (2003) and he represented Israel in the ACL (Asian Composers League) young composers’ competition in Tokyo, Japan, 2004. In 2005 Keren was chosen to compose the mandatory contemporary pieces for the Spring Competition in Israel in the wind category.
Other commissions have included The Fountain Ensemble, the 92nd Street Y in New York, the Jerusalem Music Center, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, pianist David Greilsammer, the Israeli embassy in Denmark and the prestigious Keshet-Eilon violin mastercourse. Recent performances have included an Electric-Cello Concerto, written for cellist Johannes Moser and the Geneva Camerata.
Keren's latest piano piece, "Fantaisie, mais 2 Fantastrophes" was released with the European label Naïve. Jonathan began his studies as a violinist with Mr. Chaim Taub (1993-1998). During the course of his military service (1996-1999) as a member of the “outstanding musicians” unit he arranged more than 50 pieces for chamber and vocal ensembles, all of which were performed by military bands and the Israel Defense Force Education Corps Orchestra, as well as in concert halls. Following his service he studied composition with Mr. Reuben Serroussi (1999-2000).
In 2000 he moved to New York to pursue his academic studies at The Juilliard School. In 2011 Keren has returned to Israel with his wife, violinist Cordelia Hagmann and his daughter. Mr. Keren has performed with a number of classical, early music, jazz and folk music groups, including La Mela Di Newton Baroque Trio (2006-2011) and Sexteto Rodriguez (Cuban-Jewish Music, 2005-2011). Today Keren performs regularly as a chamber musician on violin and viola, and plays contemporary music with Meitar Ensemble on viola, his new trio Trivalazzia on Baroque violin, and with The Ottomans (Turkish Music) on violin. He has performed in various venues, among them Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the opera house in Tel-Aviv and Teatro Comunale Modena in Italy.
Works
Orchestra and Large Ensemble Works
On The Bridge Of Words
2008
for Narrator, Clarinet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra
Intrada, after Mozart
2003
for Orchestra
In This House Franz Kafka Was Born
2003
for Cello and Chamber Ensemble
Concertino
2001
for Violin and Chamber Orchestra
String Quartets
Twelve Perpetual Interval Canons
2014
Four Canon Etudes
2002
Hora
1999
Hungary Is Far Away
2008
for Clarinet, Horn and String Trio
Music for Large Mixed Ensembles
Three Musicians
2008
for Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion, Guitar, Viola and Cello
Fountain Music, after C.P.E. Bach
2001
for Oboe, 2 Violins, 2 Violas, Cello and Harpsichord
Duos
Twelve Perpetual Interval Canons
2012
for Cello and Piano
To Illusory Brick Walls
2002
for Violin and Harp
Intervals
1998
for Violin and Cello
Vocal Works
Three Ladino Songs
2008
for Soprano, Guitar and Violin
Ode to Some Yellow Flowers
2005
for Alto, Bass-Clarinet, Harp and Double-bass
Muranow Guruge
2001
for Bass voice and Cello
Other Works
The Cat in The Hat
2006
for piano trio and narrator
Piano Trios
(piano, violin, cello)
Hommage to J.S.Bach
2010
Four Scandinavian Folk Tunes
2004
Other Trios
Music for Small Mixed Ensembles
Hungary Is Far Away
2008
for Clarinet, Horn and String Trio
Musik mit CLASHarmonica
2006
for Glassharmonica and String Quartet
a
Solo Works
Motet
2012
for Solo Piano
Fantaisie, mais deux fantastrophes
2007
for Solo Piano
Aria
2006
for Solo Piano
Four Miniatures
2005
for Solo Flute
Six Fantastrophes
2005
for Bassoon Unaccompanied
Passacaglia
2005
for Solo Oboe