Yevgenia Pikovsky, Principal Violin
Yevgenia Pikovsky, , winner of 1993 Vittorio Gui and Verchelli Competitions, has appeared as soloist and chamber musician in concert halls in the USA, Israel, Russia, Poland, Italy and France. In 1993, she made her debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Maestro Zubin Metha. In 1997, after studies in the USA and in Israel, she founded the Chamber Ensemble Millennium in Jerusalem, with whom she has appeared in numerous live radio broadcasts in Israel and has recorded two CDs. She is a member of ensemble “Quatro Plus”, which performed in the Jerusalem International Chamber Festival, Israel Festival and abroad, in USA and Europe. In June 2006, Yevgenia Pikovsky won the audition for Concertmaster position in Bern Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland and during the seasons 2006-2008 she served as its Concertmaster. As soloist, she has appeared with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in concerts and on tour, under Maestro Zubin Mehta. She is a member of the teaching staff in Jerusalem Academy of Music and student orchestra coach for strings. Since the 2014-15 season she is a leader of the second violins group of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Asaf Maoz, Violin
Asaf Maoz, Born in Israel in 1979, Asaf Maoz is a graduate of the Talma Yellin School of the Arts, the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv, and the Rostock Hochschule für Musik, Germany, where he studied with such eminent teachers as Ahuva Driblat, Simon Yerushevich, Ora Shiran and Axel Wilczok. He regularly appears in festivals, such as Apple hill “Playing for Peace”, Verbier in Switzerland, Jerusalem International Chamber Music, Festival de Bellerive in Switzerland and Music in the Desert Festival, Sde Boker, Israel. He was a member of the “Capital dance orchestra” that plays mainly swing music. Asaf Maoz served in the IDF as a distinguished musician. He has won several competitions and scholarships from the America-Israel Foundation, Yehudi Menuhin’s “Live Music Now” and the Fundación Barenboim-Said. During 2004-2013 he resided in Berlin where he was a member of the “Komische Oper Berlin” (Asisstant concertmaster), the “Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin” (concertmaster and principal 2nd violin), the “Tel Aviv Soloists ensemble” and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (concertmaster and principal 2nd violin). He has been a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Maestro Daniel Barenboim 2000-2012 (Principal 2nd violin). In 2006-2007 he has served as Principal 2nd violin in the German “Bielefelder Philharmoniker”. Since October 2013 he is a member of the Israel Philharmonic orchestra.
Dmitry Ratush, Viola Asst. Principal
In 1990 Dmitry Ratush and his family left Russia and settled in Israel. In the same year he had begun his studies at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem with world- renowned viola virtuoso and composer Michael Kugel. Graduating from Jerusalem Academy in 1994, Mr. Ratush continued his studies in Dallas, Texas at SMU, Meadows School of the Arts with Dr. E. Schmieder and Professor B. Hustis.
Dmitry Ratush, assistant principal violist of the Israel Philharmonic orchestra since 2004, made his debut in New York at the Merkin Concert Hall in 1991. Dmitry, among the leading string players in Israel, was an assistant principal violist of the Israel Camerata Orchestra and a principal violist of the Bern Symphony orchestra in Switzerland. During his service with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra he was a member of the IPO string quartet.
From last season Mr. Ratush is taking part in important projects as a guest principal violist in Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, Palau del les Arts (Spain) under button of Maestro Zubin Mehta.
Dmitry Ratush is a founding member of the Chamber Ensemble Millennium, at Targ Music Center in Jerusalem. With the ensemble, Dmitry appeared on a number of life broadcasts of Kol Hamusica, the Israel’ Classical Music Channel and recorded two CDs. Admired by his colleagues and audiences as a chamber music partner he has performed regularly in Israel Festival and Voice of Music Festival in the Upper Galilee. Also Mr. Ratush appears as a soloist and chamber musician all over the world in International Festivals and Chamber Music Series.
Felix Nemirovsky, Cello
Felix Nemirovsky was born in 1963 in Tashkent. He was Principal Cellist of the Moldavian Opera Orchestra and the Moldavian Radio Chamber Orchestra until 1990, when he immigrated to Israel. Here he joined the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Le-Zion (1990-91) and was Co-principal Cellist with the Camerata Orchestra (1991-92). In 1992 he joined the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Felix Nemirovsky has participated in chamber music festivals in Israel, France, Germany and South Korea as well as in the Terezienstadt Music Project. He has played chamber music with Yefim Bronfman, Emanuel Ax, Maxim Vengerov, Gil Shaham, Lang Lang and others. He has also appeared in recitals and chamber concerts in Israel and abroad and as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Felix Nemirovsky teaches chamber music in Tel Aviv Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. A former member of the Tel-Aviv Chamber Music Ensemble, and the Quattro Plus Ensemble.