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The Israeli soprano and composer, Zimra Ornatt, was born in Haifa and grew up in Tel-Aviv. She is a graduate of the Israeli School for Music Educators in Tel-Aviv. Later she studied at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan with Professor Di Canto, and at the Trinity College of Music in London. She has M.A. degree from Ministry of Education & Culture, Tel-Aviv.
At the beginning of her career she appeared with Hebrew and folk songs. Later she mastered the classical repertoire and the opera. She has sung in 13 languages.
Zimra Ornatt lived in London, Milan and Frankfurt for 22 years and appeared throughout Europe in recitals, concerts, operas and contemporary music. She was the first Israeli-born to accomplish that. She also distributed works of Israeli composers and various kinds of Jewish music. Her debut as classical singer was at Wigmore Hall in London. She participated in international festivals, such as Il Maggio Fiorentino, Palermo Festival, Israel Festival and Florence. In 1970 she participated at the Original Abu-Gosh Music Festival in a programme dedicated to Magnificats by various copmosers.
Recordings: Hebrew, classical and contemporary songs, under the labels: Topic (London), RCA (Rome), Angelicum, Durium, Fabbri (Milan), CBS (Mizmorim by Ben-Zion Orgad, Tel-Aviv). The later was reissued in CD form.
International prizes: Along he long career, Zimra Ornatt won many prizes, including gold medal in Moscow, first prize in Reggio Emilia – Italy, silver medal for opera singing in London. Silver cup for light music singing in Pesaro - Italy, special prize (scholarship to study in Italy) from American-Israeli Culture Foundation.
Zimra Ornatt composes, especially to Idish texts. As a part of her activity in the area of Jewish music, she founded the Trio Yudika (vocal-violin-piano). The Trio has appeared in concerts dedicated to Jewish-Eastern-Europe music. She now plans concerts of Jewish-Spaniard music.
Zimra Ornatt teaches voice and the art of singing. |
