JERUSALEM DUO
Being referred to as one of the most exciting and unique ensembles in the world of chamber music, Jerusalem Duo was founded in 2013 by the harpist Hila Ofek and saxophonist Andre Tsirlin.
Since their first performance together, Jerusalem Duo has been invited to appear at major festivals throughout Europe and Israel and has performed concerts in prestige stages such as the Berlin Philharmonic hall and the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg.
"In the encounter of one of the oldest and one of the youngest instruments in the history of music, a previously seldom heard musical experience unfolds, for in the combination presented by the two musicians, harp and saxophone resound in the most magnificent harmony." - SWR 2.
"Frankfurter Neue Presse" wrote: “… it’s seems like one of the biggest inspiration of the duo is the unique connection between them and their audience… Jerusalem Duo creates an unforgettable experience in which music becomes a universal language and a form of expression that opens up a path directly to every listener's heart…”
Jerusalem Duo has won first prizes in prestige competitions such as the 6th Iberian contest of chamber music with harp in Madrid (2019), the 6th international competition for Israeli music in London (2012), and the 3rd international TEREM-CROSSOVER competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia (2013).
As scholarship recipients of Live Music Now Frankfurt they have played more than 80 concerts in many different venues and performed in front of a huge verity of listeners.
On October 3, 2017, the Jerusalem Duo was invited to perform at the main service on German Unity Day at Mainz Cathedral, where they played in front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and millions of television spectators.
The duo has been an integral part of Maestro Giora Feidman’s concerts and since 2017 has taken part in 3 of his latest productions – “Feidman plays Beatles”, “Klezmer for Peace” and “Klezmer Virtuosi”.
Jerusalem Duo has already released two CDs: "PREMIERE" (2017 - Pianissimo Music) and "RAINBOW" (2021 - MACC Records), both of which are very popular with listeners and radio stations around the world.
JERUSALEM DUO
DEUTSCH
HILA OFEK
The harpist Hila Ofek was born in 1990 in Tel-Aviv, Israel.
She is a multiple prize winner of different international competitions. Among others, she won the third prize at the 1st Israeli National Harp Competition and first prize at the Concerto Competition of the Jerusalem Academy of Music. In July 2014 she won third prize at the 1st International Italian Harp Competition in Como, Italy and in January 2016 she won second prize at the Mexico International in Mexico City.
She has performed and recorded as a soloist with different orchestras such as the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Chaves Orchestra and Ra`anana Symphonette Orchestra, and has appeared in a recordings by Maestro Giora Feidman and the Gershwin Quartet.
Hila graduated with a BA degree from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. During the years 2012-2013 she studied with Prof. Germaine Lorenzini in Lyon, and in 2013 she was accepted at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in the harp class of Prof. Francoise Friedrich, where in 2015 she completed her MA degree and continued her studies
for the Konzertexamen (Artist diploma), which she completed with excellency in 2019. For the outstanding musical achievements during her career, Hila was a scholarship holder from the “America-Israel Culture Foundation” (2005 - 2016), “Chais Family Foundation” (2008-2009), “Live Music Now Frankfurt” (2014-2019), “Freunde Junger Musiker e.V. Frankfurt”, and the “Hessian Cultural Foundation” (2020).
Hila Ofek plays on Salvi harps.
HILA OFEK
DEUTSCH
Die Harfenistin Hila Ofek wurde 1990 in Tel-Aviv, Israel, geboren.
Sie ist mehrfache Preisträgerin von verschiedenen internationalen Wettbewerben. Unter anderem gewann sie den dritten Preis beim 1. israelischen Harfenwettbewerb und den ersten Preis beim Konzertwettbewerb der Jerusalem Academy of Music. Im Juli 2014 gewann sie den dritten Preis beim 1. Internationalen Italienischen Harfenwettbewerb in Como, Italien, und im Januar 2016 gewann sie den zweiten Preis beim Mexiko International in Mexiko-Stadt.
Als Solistin ist sie mit verschiedenen Orchestern wie dem Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, dem Carlos Chaves Orchestra und dem Ra`anana Symphonette Orchestra aufgetreten und hat bei Aufnahmen von Maestro Giora Feidman und dem Gershwin Quartett mitgewirkt.
Hila schloss ihr Studium an der Jerusalemer Akademie für Musik und Tanz mit einem BA-Abschluss ab. In den Jahren 2012-2013 studierte sie bei Prof. Germaine Lorenzini in Lyon, und 2013 wurde sie an der Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland, in die Harfenklasse von Prof. Francoise Friedrich aufgenommen, wo sie 2015 ihren MA-Abschluss absolvierte und ihr Studium für das Konzertexamen fortgesetzt hat, das sie 2019 mit Auszeichnung abgeschlossen hat.
Für die hohen musikalischen Leistungen während ihrer Karriere war Hila Stipendiatin der "America-Israel Culture Foundation" (2005 - 2016), der "Chais Family Foundation" (2008-2009), von "Live Music Now Frankfurt" (2014-2019), der "Freunde Junger Musiker e.V. Frankfurt" und der "Hessischen Kulturstiftung" (2020).
Hila Ofek spielt Salvi-Harfen.
ANDRE TSIRLIN
Saxophone player Andre Tsirlin was born 1988 in Irkutsk, Russia.
In 1991, his family immigrated to Israel where he began his saxophone studies at the Jerusalem Conservatory for Music & Dance at the age of 13 in the class of Prof. Gersh Geller.
He is the first prize winner of the first Israeli Saxophone Competition, winner of the Wind Competition in the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the special prize for an outstanding performance of a musical work in the competition named after Paul Ben-Chaim.
As a soloist he had performed with numerous orchestras, including the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra, the Italian Saxophone Orchestra, the Arco Musical Orchestra and others. In 2014 Andre performed as a soloist with the "Sadnah Conservatory Orchestra" at Carnegie Hall, New-York, USA and in 2016 they took part at the Cumma-Sum-Laude Festival and Competition in Vienna, Austria, where they won first prize and performed in prestigious concert halls such as "Musikverein" and the "Konzerthaus".
Andre graduated with a BA degree from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He finished his MA studies in 2016 in the class of Wardy Hamburg in Mainz, and later continued
to the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende
Kunst in Frankfurt am Main, where he studied instrumental pedagogy. For the outstanding musical achievements during his career, Andre was a scholarship holder from the “America-Israel Culture Foundation” (2004 - 2014), “Anni Eisler Lehmann Foundation Mainz” (2015-2017), “Live Music Now Frankfurt” (2014-2019) and the “Hessian Cultural Foundation” (2020).
Andre plays on Yanagisawa saxophones (Soprano - SWO20, Alto - AWO20), Pomarico mouthpieces and Legere reeds.
ANDRE TSIRLIN
DEUTSCH
Saxophonist Andre Tsirlin wurde 1988 in Irkutsk, Russland, geboren.
1991 immigrierte seine Familie nach Israel, wo er im Alter von 13 Jahren sein Saxophonstudium am Jerusalemer Konservatorium für Musik & Tanz in der Klasse von Prof. Gersh Geller begonnen hat.
Er ist der erste Preisträger des ersten israelischen Saxophonwettbewerbs, Gewinner des Bläserwettbewerbs an der Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance und des Sonderpreises für eine herausragende Darbietung eines Musikwerks in dem nach Paul Ben-Chaim benannten Wettbewerb.
Als Solist konzertierte er mit zahlreichen Orchestern, darunter das Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, das St. Petersburger Kammerorchester, das Italienische Saxophonorchester, das Arco Musicali Orchestra und weitere. Im Jahr 2014 ist er als Solist mit dem "Sadnah Conservatory Orchestra" in der Carnegie Hall, New-York, USA, aufgetreten. 2016 nahmen sie am Cumma-Sum-Laude Festival und Wettbewerb in Wien, Österreich, teil, wo sie den ersten Preis gewannen und in renommierten Konzertsälen wie dem "Musikverein" und dem "Konzerthaus" aufgetreten haben.
Andre schloss sein Studium an der Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance mit einem BA-Abschluss ab. Seinen MA-Abschluss absolvierte er 2016 in der Klasse von Wardy Hamburg in Mainz. Anschließend setzte er sein Studium an der Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main fort, wo er Instrumentalpädagogik studierte.
Für die hohen musikalischen Leistungen während seiner Karriere war Andre Stipendiat der " America-Israel Culture Foundation" (2004 - 2014), der "Anni-Eisler-Lehmann-Stiftung Mainz" (2015-2017), von "Live Music Now Frankfurt" (2014-2019) und der "Hessischen Kulturstiftung" (2020).
Andre spielt auf Selmer Paris & Yanagisawa-Saxophonen, Pomarico-Mundstücken und Legere-Blättern.