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The Russian-born Israeli composer, Ilya Heifets, graduated from the Novosibirsk State Conservatory (under Professor Askold Murov) with a M.A., and later from the Bar Ilan University, Israel, with a Ph.D. in composition.
In addition to his prolific activity as composer, Ilya Heifets served as lecturer at the music college (courses of orchestration, analysis of musical forms, modem music and composition). Since 1991 in Israel, he teaches at the Herzliya City Conservatory and continues his creative and public activity. Since 2000 he has been a member of the Board of the Israel Composers' League.
His compositions include a musical for children (after H. Ch. Andersen), incidental music for more than 20 dramatic plays, music for symphonic orchestra (Symphony Yaffa, 5 concerti, symphonic poems, overtures and other genres), chamber music (piano quintet, Trio-Requiem for piano, violin and cello, 10 sonatas for different instruments, BACH 85 - suite for organ, piano, cembalo, violin, viola, violoncello and soprano, and many others), music for choir, for children, more than 200 arrangements etc. His music is performed in France, Czech Republic, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Israel, USA, recorded and printed by Russian and Israel Publishing Houses.
Ilya Heifets is currently working on his research of Jewish, Hebrew and Israeli music. In 1990-1991 he collaborated with V. Rosenfeld on the translation of the book of A. Z. Idelsohn Jewish Music in Its Historical Development from English to Russian. The integral part of his Doctorate was scientific article "Joseph Dorfman's 'Klezmeriana': A Contemporary Jewish Composer Facing the Ethnic Challenge" (1998). His resent articles "Jewish Idiom and Compositional Techniques" and "'Jewish' Songs of M. Mussorgsky and A. Rubinstein" are published by Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem. In 1984 he won the Russian Composer's Union Prize for his Symphony-Concerto for violin, viola, clarinet & symphony orchestra. Ilya Heifets was awarded the Israeli Prime Minister Prize for Composition (2004). |
