Amos Elkana (born August 20, 1967) is an Israeli composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and improviser.

Biography

Amos Elkana was born in the United States but grew up in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

.
He began playing guitar and studying music at age 15. After his compulsory army service in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 he returned to Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 to study jazz guitar at the Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...

 and Composition at the New England Conservatory of Music

New England Conservatory of Music

The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...

.

In 1990 he moved to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. While in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 he studied composition with Michele Reverdy

Michèle Reverdy

Michèle Reverdy is a French composer.-Biography:Michèle Reverdy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and began piano lessons at age six...

 in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, Erik Norby

Erik Norby

Erik Norby was a Danish composer.-References:*This article was initially translated from the Danish Wikipedia....

 in Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

 and master classes with Paul Heinz Dietrich and Edison Denisov

Edison Denisov

Edison Vasilievich Denisov was a Russian composer of so called "Underground" — "Anti-Collectivist", "alternative" or "nonconformist" division in the Soviet music.-Biography:...

 in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

. In 1992 he settled back in Israel where his two children were born.

Elkana continued his studies at Bard College

Bard College

Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 where he earned an MFA in Music and Sound. At Bard he focused on electronic music and took lessons with Pauline Oliveros

Pauline Oliveros

Pauline Oliveros is an American accordionist and composer who is a central figure in the development of post-war electronic art music....

, David Behrman

David Behrman

David Behrman is a US composer and the producer of Columbia Records' Music of Our Time series. He was also a founding member of the Sonic Arts Union. He toured with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and has worked with Ben Neill. He was a part of Robert Ashley's Music with Roots in the Aether...

, Richard Teitelbaum

Richard Teitelbaum

Richard Teitelbaum is an American composer, keyboardist, and improvisor. Born in New York, he is a former student of Allen Forte, Mel Powell, and Luigi Nono. He is best known for his live electronic music and synthesizer performance. For example, he brought the first moog synthesizer to Europe...

, George Lewis

George Lewis

George Lewis may refer to:*George Lowys or Lewis , mayor of Winchelsea*George Lewis , track and field athlete from Trinidad and Tobago*George Lewis , New Orleans jazz clarinettist...

, Maryanne Amacher

Maryanne Amacher

Maryanne Amacher was an American composer and installation artist.-Biography:Amacher was born in Kane, Pennsylvania, to an American nurse and a Swiss freight train worker. As the only child, she grew up playing the piano. Amacher left Kane to attend the University of Pennsylvania on a full...

, Larry Polansky

Larry Polansky

Larry Polansky is a composer, guitarist, mandolinist, and a professor at Dartmouth College. He is a founding member and co-director of . He co-wrote HMSL with Phil Burk and David Rosenboom....

 and more.

Elkana’s works have been performed and recorded around the world. His first saxophone quartet was premiered in Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

 in New York City in 1993. The Berlin Festival commissioned his song-cycle Arabic Lessons and premiered it in 1998. His concerto for clarinet Tru’a was recorded by clarinetist Richard Stoltzman

Richard Stoltzman

Richard Stoltzman is an American clarinetist. Born Richard Leslie Stoltzman in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is part of the faculty list at the New England Conservatory...

 and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra , one of Poland's premier musical institutions, was established in 1901 on the initiative of an assembly of Polish aristocrats and financiers, as well as musicians...

.

Elkana also performs his own works on the electric guitar and computer and he frequently collaborates with artists from other disciplines on joint projects. In 2003 he received the Golden Feather Prize for music composition.

Major works

• Sa-ha-ru-ri (2011)

Quintet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano

• How! (2010)

Septet for Oud, Mandolin, 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Cello

• Casino Umbro (2010)

Sextet for 2 Bass viols (Viola da gamba), Harpsichord, Violin, Flute and Piano

• Solitude (2010)

Solo for Viola

• Laconic Pentatonic Saxophone Quartet No.3 (2010)

Quartet for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones

• 24 moments (2009)

Trio for E-Guitar, Violin (or Cello) and Piano

• Manifest Functions (2009)

Electronic music for 6 channels with voices

• After Hamlet (2009)

Trio for Electric Guitar, Piano, Percussion with Voice(s)

• Whither do you go home (2009)

Solo for Cello (or Electric Guitar) with recorded voice and Electronics

• Shivers (2008)

Solo for Celesta

• Prague 1588 (2008)

Solo for Clarinet

• Hommage à György Ligeti (2007)

Chamber music for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb, Bass-Clarinet in Bb, Horn in F, Trombone, Harpsichord (doubling on Hammond or Harmonium), Piano (doubling on Celesta), 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, Double-Bass

• The High Command (2007)

Electronic music for Computer

• Lies and Lethargies (2006)

Solo for Electric Guitar, live electronics and recorded voice

• Gefunden (2006)

Electronic music for Computer 4 channels and recorded voice

• The Age of Anxiety (2006)

Electronic music for Computer 4 channels and recorded voices

• Eight Flowers A bouquet for György Kurtág (2006)

Solo for Piano

• Plexure (2005)

Duo for Oboe (doubling on English Horn) and Contrabassoon

• String Quartet No. 2 (2004)

Quartet for 2 Violins, Viola and Cello

• OMI (2003)

Chamber music for Flute, Shakuhachi, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Djembe, Harp, Electric Guitar, Piano, Viola, Cello

• Remains (2002)

Electronic music for Electronics and recorded Guitar

• String Quartet No.1 (2001)

Quartet for 2 Violins, Viola and Cello

• Zwischenspiel (2000)

Electronic music for recorded Guitar, recorded Piano, recorded voice and electronics

• Arabic Lessons a song-cycle (1998)

Chamber music for 3 Sopranos, Flute (doubling piccolo), Trumpet in C, Tenor Saxophone, Cello, Electric Bass, Drum set

• Four Loops Saxophone Quartet No.2 (1998)

Quartet for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones

• Hagigit (1997)

Electronic music for Electronics, Voices and Violin

• Ru'ach Quintet (1996)

Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon

• Revadim (1995)

Quintet for Violin, Oboe, Clarinet, Cello and Piano

• Tru'a (1994)

Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (333 4331 Perc 12,10,8,8,7)

• Color in Time (1993)

Orchestral music for Orchestra (3333 2221 Perc. Strings)

• Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp (1992)

Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp

• Saxophone Quartet No.1 (1992)

Quartet for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones

• Shir (1991)

Solo for Flute

External links

• Amos Elkana's web page