Yitzhak Yedid

Yitzhak Yedid (יצחק ידיד, born 29 September, 1971) is an Israeli Australian composer of classical music and jazz pianist.

Biography
Yitzhak Yedid was born on September 29, 1971 in Jerusalem, Israel. His family immigrated from Syria. He studied at the Rubin Academy of Music and the New England Conservatory in Boston with Ran Blake and Paul Bley in 1997 and 1998. Yedid lives in Australia.

Music career


In 1999 Yedid released his first CD, Compositions for Solo Piano, for the Musa label. This led to an invitation to perform in Scandinavia as the guest of the pianist Michael Smith, and to a joint recital in Sweden with the pianist Roland Pontinen. In 2001, Yedid’s second recording, Inner Outcry, was released, also for Musa. Yedid was commissioned to compose the suite Tachanun for the opening of “The Third Stream” festival in Vienna, Austria, in 2002. This composition has been performed many times in Israel including at the Kfar Blum Chamber Music Festival.

Myth of the Cave was commissioned by German record label Between the Lines. It was released in 2002. The five-movement piece has been performed at festivals in Germany and Austria, at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival in Canada and at the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival in Israel. It is based on Plato's allegory of the cave, about cave dwellers imprisoned in near-darkness since birth whose sense of reality is distorted. One of them escapes to the outside world, reports on what he has seen and is put to death for his revelations.

In 2003 Yedid composed Passions and Prayers - Sextet in homage to Jerusalem for Between the Lines. It is a technically complex and conceptually melancholy composition that premiered at the 2004 Israel Festival. The CD released in August 2005.

Reflections upon Six Images was commissioned for the Third Stream Festival in Vienna Austria in 2004. The music depicts the union and division of images, colors, textures, styles and cultures inspired by the world of the imagination. The composition was performed at the Vienna festival in September 2004 and at the Etnakhta concert series in November 2004 in Israel. The CD was released at the end of 2005.

In 2005, Yedid composed the Oud Bass Piano Trio, performed at the Sibiu, Festival in Romania, as well as in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. in May and September 2005. In 2002, he joined Israeli jazz saxophonist Abatte Barihun to form the duo Ras Deshen. They recorded their maiden album on September 2002, which featured a blend of Ethiopian music and Free improvisation jazz.

Musical style and influences
Yedid says his music is influenced by Arabic music. "When I was a child I went to the Syrian synagogue, where you hear all the melodies in the Arabic scales. I'm using microtonals in my compositions, and also using the Hassidic and Orthodox Jewish scales. This is all with free jazz and classical music, in equal parts."

Yedid's music contains a mix of elements. He says: "I'm dealing with very classical things, also with jazz and folk things--but it's not classical and it's not jazz and it's not folk. I'm using various techniques, like a painter who's trying to use all the materials he knows about. I'm trying to bring all these different elements together. My music is like a story--it's like a film or a play."

Compositions

 * "Out to Infinity" (2008)
 * Harp Solo commissioned by the '2009 international harp contest' a duty piece for the 50th anniversary of the contest.


 * "Visions, Fantasies and Dances" (2007)
 * String Quartet commissioned by IBA music, 2006
 * Premier performance: March, 2008, Jerusalem Concert Hall


 * "Nine images for Violin Cello and Piano" (2006)
 * Piano trio commissioned by IBA music, 2006


 * "Chagall Project" (2006)
 * Seven Solo Piano pieces inspired by Marc Chagall


 * "Since my Soul Loved"(2005)
 * Piano Quintet, in four movements, commissioned by Etnachta Concert Series, 2004


 * "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio" (2005)
 * Trio for Oud, Double Bass and Piano, in five movements commissioned by the Oud International Festival, 2005


 * "Psalms" (2004)
 * Three Singers, Ethiopian folk Dancer, Alto, Bass and Piano


 * "Reflections Upon Six Images" (2004)
 * Quartet for Clarinet, Viola, Double Bass and Piano, in six parts.


 * "Passions & Prayers, Sextet in Homage to Jerusalem" (2003)
 * Sextet for, Horn, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Trombone, Viola, Double Bass and Piano, in Five Movements.


 * "Myth of the Cave" (2002)
 * Trio for, Clarinet/ Bass Clarinet, Double Bass and Piano, in five movements.
 * "Ras Deshen" (2002)
 * For Voice, Krar, Piano


 * "Tachanun" (2001)
 * Trio for Piano, Double Bass and Percussions. Suite In one movement


 * "Tachanun"- Solo Piano version (2000)
 * Suite in one movement commissioned by Vienna Music Gallery Festival, Austria 2003


 * "Full Moon Fantasy" (1998)
 * Solo Piano compositions commissioned by Musa records 1999

Publications

 * 2008: Analysis of "Out to Infinity"
 * 2007: Oud Bass Piano Trio - New music incorporating a spectrum of contemporary and ancient styles. Sibiu Festival booklet (Romania), Vienna Festival booklet (Austria), International Oud Festival booklet.
 * 2006: Analysis of "Since my soul Loved" Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), Israel
 * 2005: Analysis of "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio" IBA channel, Israel
 * 2005: "Psalms", Ethiopian tradition Kessim Liturgy Liner notes. Confederation House Program.
 * 2004: Analysis of "Reflections Upon Six Images" IBA channel
 * 2003: Analysis of "Passions & Prayers, Sextet in Homage to Jerusalem" CD Liner notes and Israel Festival program.
 * 2002: Myth and Music, Allegory of the Cave, CD Liner notes, Vienna New Music Festival Booklet and
 * 2001: Analysis of "Tachanun" (2001) WMG, Austria

Discography
Mikhail Maroun- Oud Ora Boasson- Double- Bass Yitzhak Yedid- Piano
 * 2008 : Oud Bass Piano Trio"

François Houle- Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Gal Hai- Viola Ora Boasson- Double- Bass Yitzhak Yedid- Piano
 * 2006 : "Reflections upon six Images"

Alon Reuven - horn Orit Orbach - clarinet & bass clarinet Yaron Ouzana – trombone Galia Hai - viola Ora Boasson - double bass Yitzhak Yedid - piano
 * 2005 : "Passions & Prayers, Sextet in Homage to Jerusalem"

François Houle- Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Ora Boasson- Double- Bass Yitzhak Yedid- Piano
 * 2003 : "Myth of the Cave"

Abate Berihuen- Voice ans Saxophones Fentahon Malessa- Krar Yitzhak Yedid- Piano
 * 2002 : "Ras Deshen"

Recorded live at Israel Chamber music Festival August, 2001. Vlad Nedelin- Percussions Ora Boasson- Bass Yitzhak Yedid- Piano
 * 2002 : DVD: "Tahanun Suite"
 * 2001 : "Inner Outcry"


 * 1999 : "Full Moon Fantasy"

Live radio broadcasts

 * 2008: IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Visions, Fantasies & Dances" & "Myth of the Cave"


 * 2007: IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Nine Images for Violin Cello & Piano"


 * 2006: Vilnius Radio, Lithuania. Live recording concert for Radio and Television of "Myth of the Cave"


 * 2005: Sibiu, Romania. Live recording concert for Radio and Television of "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio"

IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Since My Soul Loved"

IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio"

Baltimore University, U.S.A. Live recording concert of "Oud-Bass-Piano Trio"


 * 2004: IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Reflections Upon Six Images"

IBA, Israel. Live recording concert of "Myth of the Cave"


 * 2003: Tel Aviv Festival. Recording to television of "Ras Deshen"


 * 2001: Chamber Music Festival, Galile. Recording to television of "Tachanun"