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Ben-Yohanan, Asher (b. May 22, 1929, Kavála). Greek-born Israeli composer of orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in Israel, as well as in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Prof. Ben-Yohanan came with his family to Tel-Aviv in 1935 and there studied oboe and piano. He studied composition privately with Paul Ben-Haim from 1949-53 and musicology with Jan LaRue and Gustave Reese at New York University from 1958-61. He later studied composition privately with Luigi Nono in Venice in 1966 and with Leslie Bassett and Ross Lee Finney at the University of Michigan, where he earned his MMus in 1970. He also studied with Aaron Copland at Tanglewood in 1958, on a scholarship, and attended Darmstadt in 1966.
His honors include the Morse Fellowship in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (1970-71). He has received commissions from the Israel Composers Fund, the Israel Festival, the University of Wisconsin, and other organizations.
Prof. Ben-Yohanan is also active in other positions. As a writer, he has written articles on music, as well as the books Music in Israel – A Short Survey (1975, Telma Yellin Music and Arts School) and Music Notation (1983, Bar-Ilan University). He also served as chairman of the Israeli Composers League from 1989-92 and of the committee for the annual granting to composers of the Award of the Israeli Prime Minister from 1989-93.
He taught music literature and music theory at the Israel Conservatory of Music in Tel-Aviv from 1962-69. He then taught music literature and music theory at the Telma Yellin Music and Arts School in Tel-Aviv from 1964-87, where he also served as chair of the music department from 1966-76. He taught as Professor of Music at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan from 1973-96.
The Israel Music Institute and Israeli Music Publications publish his music.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: kressel@bezeqint.net
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL: Independence Day Parade (march), military band, 1956; Festive Overture, 1957; Two Movements for Orchestra, 1959; Music for Orchestra 1967, 1967; Concertino for String Orchestra, 1973; Variations, 1980, revised 1989; Meditations, 1992
CHAMBER MUSIC: String Quartet, 1962-64; Chamber Music for Six, flute, clarinet, French horn, violin, viola, double bass, 1968; Quartetto Concertato, clarinet, trombone, cello, piano, 1969-70; Meditations on a Folksong, flute, clarinet, piano, 1972; Soliloquy, violin, 1977; Three Pieces for Three Woodwinds, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1978; Desert Winds, flute, 1979; Episode, trombone, 1984; Woodwind Quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1985; Delineation, cello, 1986; Divertimento, French horn, trumpet, trombone, 1988-89; Hidden Feelings, harp, 1990
CHORAL: Ode to Jerusalem (text from the Bible), mixed chorus, 1954; O Fair Sight (text by Yehuda Halevi), mixed chorus, 1984
VOCAL: Mosaic (text by E.E. Cummings), soprano, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, viola, cello, double bass, 2 percussion, 1970-71; Four Summer Songs (text by T. Carmi), baritone, piano, 1974; Three Songs without Titles (text by Ya'ara Ben-David), soprano, piano, 1983
PIANO: Prelude and Toccata, 1960; Impressions, 1976
DIDACTIC MUSIC: Three Piano Pieces for Beginners, 1981
(Last updated on January 20, 2004)
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