Roy Amotz
“Hassadna to me was a musical home between the ages of 8 to 18. Ten years in which I received there a musical education as well as a feeling of belonging. Something about the approach of Hassadna – both striving for excellency as well as committing to social values – is especially moving and special to me. It was then and it still is now. From recorder studies to the flute – and later on to conducting – it was a start of a path I am still walking in, and every new turn is new and surprising. In the army I served in the Outstanding Musicians Unit, and the day my service ended I flew to study in Germany. Today I live in Berlin and perform all over – with ensembles, orchestras and as a soloist – while always searching to create a significant and transformative experience through classical music. I have no doubt that the experiences I received at Hassadna became an important part of me – as a person and as a musician – and will continue to accompany me in my next endeavors.”
Avraham Terife
“Hassadna is my home! It is where I walked my first steps into the music world, and although I only came there to study violin, I feel that I was privileged to learn there much more. The professional spirit of my fellow students brought me to a high level of persistence and incredible progress. The amazing teachers at Hassadna, who never give up on their students, taught me about hard work and tenacity. At Hassadna I learned to respect, to appreciate and to love. The wonderful directors of Hassadna guided me, both musically and personally, throughout all the years: they made sure I lack for nothing, they drew me out of crises, they gave me incredible opportunities in the greatest concert halls in Israel and abroad, they supported me financially and emotionally, they instilled motivation in me to keep on going and they loved me as a family member. This perfect place is hard to describe in words. That is why in the far future, when I will remember Hassadna, I will not think about what they gave me or what they did for me, but I will think about how they made me feel.”
Shir Semmel
“The Hassadna Conservatory was an integral part of my childhood – it was my second home. Our dear Solomon always greeted me warmly when I arrived at the Conservatory for my pre-music classes, classical ballet lessons, theory classes and of course my piano lessons that over the years have become the center of my life. I was assigned to study in the class of a new teacher who had just joined the faculty of the conservatory – Lena Nemirovsky. I still remember her endless dedication as she instilled in me the pianistic fundamentals that serve me to this very day. From very early on, my individual lessons were complemented by shared activities with other children from the Conservatory. It was these activities that I loved the most – playing chamber music together, listening to various musical instruments together… These communal activities and our shared love of music deeply influenced and enriched my musical development. After completing my piano studies at Hassadna, I studied and graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Tel Aviv University, and then continued my studies in the United States as a student of Leon Fleischer. I recently completed my doctorate at the Stony Brook University, NY. I have won competitions, performed in various festivals in Israel and abroad, appeared as soloist with orchestras and played in important concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, where I performed regularly as part of Carnegie Hall and Juilliard’s Ensemble ACJW. In the coming season, I will be playing recitals throughout Europe at the personal invitation of renowned pianist Sir Andras Schiff as part of a series designed to highlight outstanding young pianists. This year I began teaching at Hassadna, which is very moving for me as I come full circle and strive to be part of creating the same professional and caring musical environment in which I grew up, and to pass on my great love for music to future generations.”
Elisha Kravitz
“It is not an exaggeration to state that I was raised at Hassadna since the very first pre-music lessons I attended at the age of four. What I find most amazing about the place is the almost-impossible-to-create combination of aspiration for excellency as well as humaneness: the conservatory knows how to guide each student on their unique individual paths, how to identify the right moment and then how to “push” each student another step forward. Describing Hassadna directors and teachers as “dedicated” does not even come a little bit close to the truth, it being the incredible amounts of investment and love that they each pour into their work every single day. Personally, I was privileged to have Lena Nemirovsky, today the conservatory’s Director, as my first piano teacher through 12 most substantial years. Lena made sure I experienced a good childhood, one that in her belief every child must experience, and yet managed to bestow in me all the tools necessary for a future musical career, the main one being an incredible amount of love for music. Lena encouraged me to open my mind and to take interest in music theory, composition and chamber music. Her efforts fulfilled their purpose, since now I find chamber music to be my true passion in life. Today I am a professional pianist, a summa cum laude graduate with an MA from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and currently studying chamber music in Frankfurt, Germany. I owe so much to this wonderful place. It changed my life course, as well as many others’. Without a doubt, I am most privileged to be a part of Hassadna family.“