Yonatan Shenkar

Yonatan Shenkar “Yonatan shenkar is a super talented and diligent composer, orchestrator, and arranger…” (Josef bardanshvili)
“Yonatan is a highly intelligent, analytical and creative composer, with a vast musical background on which he relies…” (Menachem wiesenberg)
Yonatan shenkar was born in 1985 in Israel. He began studying jazz piano at the late age of 13, and was admitted to the jazz department of “telma-yeliin” high-school of the arts the following year. While there, he dealt with playing and writing for different ensembles, including writing full blown big-band arrangements.
After 5 years of service as an air force officer in the IDF, he continued to study jazz composition for one year in “RIMON” school of jazz. Following that, Yonatan went on to accomplish B.mus and M.mus degrees in composition and conducting at the Jerusalem academy of music and dance. (2010-2015). During that time, he studied under prof. heim permont, Mr. Ilan Mochiach and mainly under dr. Josef Bardanshvili , as well as orchestral conducting under mr. Yavgeny Tzirlin. During these years, Yonatan participated in various master-classes including master-classes with Mr. Thomas Adess, Mrs. chaya czernowin, Mr. josef bardanashvili, professor tzvi avni and more. In addition, Yonatan worked as an assistant to Mr. Ilan Mochiach in different orchestral projects including the Israeli Philharmonic orchestra and Rishon Lezion Symphony orchestra.

In 2014 Yonatan was awarded the AICF (keren tarbut America Israel) scholarship for composition

Since graduating, Yonatan’s compositions, arrangements and orchestrations were performed by many orchestras and ensembles including the Rishon Letzion symphony orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Haifa symphony orchestra ,Beer-Sheva Sinfonietta, synfonet Raanana, ensemble Meitar, and more.
Yonatan is a multi-disciplinary musician, writing music for the concert hall, for cinema and theater, jazz ensembles and different combinations. In 2014 Yonatan Arranged and orchestrated the musical “CHABASA” about life in the Israeli prison, performed by the Israeli “synfonet” Raanana orchestra in 2014.

Yonatan is also a busy music educator, teaching composition. Orchestration and jazz harmony and piano in different institutions. (“Alon” and “katzanelson” high-schools, the Conservatory of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, ramat-hasharon, kfar-saba and or-yahuda Conservatories

In 2016 yonatan served as a composition guide (artist in residence) in an international composition workshop in collaboration with the Lincoln center new-York under Prof. Richard Carrick (2016).
shenkaryo@gmail.com