MUSIC

The Jewish Community Center of Houston presents Israeli Pianist Ishay Shaer in Concert. Israeli pianist Ishay Shaer returns to Houston in a piano concert Sunday, January 9, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center.  Shaer is one of today’s leading young Israeli pianists, born in 1983.

“I first got to know Ishay when he contacted me about performing at the JCC. He was coming to Texas to debut at Round Top Festival Hill in October 2009 and wanted to perform in Houston,” commented JCC Assistant Executive Director Marilyn Hassid. “We already had an event planned on his available date, but I was able to arrange a salon concert at Congregation Beth Yeshurun where, according to Rosemary Pachter, Chairwoman of the event, “the audience was mesmerized by his performance.”

A recipient of America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships with distinction, Shaer began piano studies at the age of 7 with Mrs. Hanna Barsilai and later studied with Dr. Asaf Zohar. In 2004 he began studies at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music of Tel-Aviv University (in cooperation with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) with  Prof. Tomer Lev. Currently he is studying for his master's degree with Prof. Arie Vardi.

Shaer has given recitals at concert halls around the world including Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Recanati Auditorium. He is the recipient of numerous awards including prizes at the Newport International Competition, the Clairmont Competition, and the International Beethoven Competition.

During recent years, he has taken part in many national and international music events, as a soloist and in chamber music. His solo performances include recitals which were broadcast in radio stations in Scotland, South Africa and Israel, and he played as a soloist with some of the major Israeli orchestras. In January 2009 his debut CD (with Chopin's third sonata, Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit and Schumann Etudes Symphoniques) was released, and was broadcast in its entirety in the Israeli national radio.

“Everything which the Israeli pianist Ishay Shaer delivered had fluency and grace,” wrote Michael Church in Classical Music Magazine UK, following a 2009 concert.

In August 2010, Shaer performed "Pianoplus" in Bonn, Germany where he played Beethoven’s piano sonata Op. 31 No. 2, Bach's prelude and fugue in F sharp minor (BWV 883), the last 10 preludes from Op. 28 by Chopin, Liszt's concert etude No. 2 in F minor, "La Leggierezza" and "Gaspard de la Nuit" by Ravel. Fritz Herzog reviewed this concert and wrote, “Especially worth mentioning is the pianist's ability to experience each and every piece at an equal level of authenticity.”

Tickets are $10 JCC Members/Patrons of the Arts and $15 Public. Visit www.jcchouston.org  or call 713-551-7255 to purchase tickets.

You can also visit www.jcchouston.org  or hear more at Ishay Shaer’s website at www.ishayshaer.com .

This program was made possible, in part, by funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, Continental Airlines and JPMorgan Chase & Co.