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Avishai Darash
Avishai Darash, an Amsterdam-based pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, and musical director, has seamlessly blended musical styles, drawing inspiration from North African traditional music, Western classical music, American jazz, and Israeli folk.
His musical journey began with the mentorship of his cousin, Tribal Tul, a psychedelic trance producer. At the age of 11, Avishai spent a weekend in Tul's studio learning about the production and creative process of electronic music. He delved into producing psychedelic trance until the age of 16, gaining insights into structure, influences, and arrangements that later influenced his musical direction.
At 16, Avishai attended his first jazz concert, captivated by its spontaneity, communication, and real-time composition. This led him to piano lessons under Ittai Rosenbaum, solidifying his commitment to a musical career. He temporarily set aside electronic music production to focus on learning music theory and band leading.
From 2008 to 2010, he pursued a Bachelor's degree at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance, exposing himself to various music styles and disciplines. In 2010, Avishai moved to the Netherlands to attend the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam for jazz performance, leveraging his network for productions and educational opportunities.
Between 2012 and 2017, Avishai collaborated with Dutch/Moroccan oud virtuoso Mohamed Ahaddaf, touring and producing albums such as "Spoken Soul" (2014) and "Seasons" (2016). His debut album, "Impermanence" (2015), showcased rising jazz talents (Ofri Nehemya and Avri Borochov) and a string quartet from the Dutch prize-winning orchestra "Metropole Orkest."
In 2018, he introduced "Nomadic Treasures," a collective under the italian label A.MA Edizioni, followed by the critically acclaimed "SAMSKARA" in May 2019.
From 2020 to 2023, Avishai served as the artistic director and pianist for the Marmoucha Orchestra, producing eight studio albums and one live album. Their groundbreaking approach combined traditional melodies with western classical harmonies, earning support from national performing arts (FPK) and Amsterdam's regional funds (AFK). His latest album with the orchestra, "Andalusian Love Song," is hailed as his finest work.
Between 2021-2023, Avishai joined MusicalMakers, an initiative curated by billionaire Joop van den Ende and DeLaMar theatre, establishing himself as a sought-after composer for musicals and interdisciplinary stage projects.
His recent album, "Between Hope and Despair," with his world quartet, responds to recent changes in the Middle East, conveying a message of unity, love, and connection.
From 2017 to 2019, Avishai served as the pianist and arranger for Amsterdam's Andalusian Orchestra. He also arranged and led the production of the project “ZIEL” in collaboration with the dance company ICK from Amsterdam, featured on albums “Andalusian Echoes” and “Ziel/Rouh.”
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Avishai Darash: Between Hope and Despair
by Nathalie Tamara Freson
Avishai Darash's Between Hope and Despair is a timely album, composed as a reaction to the October 7th 2023 massacre in Israel. It refers to the spectrum of emotions one may feel in times of war, regardless of what side one stands on. This is to be expected from Darash, an intellectual pianist. He does not just play; his compositions feel like philosophical debates. The situation in his birth country, and the world reaction to it, triggered an avalanche of ...
Continue ReadingAvishai Darash: Between Hope and Despair
by Neil Duggan
Having a regular salary and a prestigious position would be considered as a successful achievement for many musicians. Israeli-born pianist and Amsterdam resident, Avishai Darash decided to buck the trend and gave up his position as artistic director and pianist for the innovative Marmoucha Orchestra to return to his solo career. Whilst stepping out of his comfort zone was not easy, he was now armed with knowledge gained from composing and arranging numerous albums with the orchestra and other projects. ...
Continue ReadingAvishai Darash featuring Marmoucha Orchestra: Andalusian Love Song
by Mark Sullivan
Israeli pianist & composer Avishai Darash has always made a deliberate effort to combine his Middle Eastern heritage with Western influences. He considers Andalusian music to be the origin and core of Western music; this album is a love song to that music and its journey and evolution from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and into southern Spain. On this album Darash leads his largest ensemble on record, the Marmoucha Orchestra which is essentially a chamber orchestra, ...
Continue ReadingAvishai Darash: Samskara
by Mark Sullivan
Israeli pianist-composer Avishai Darash made a deliberate effort to combine his Middle Eastern heritage with western influences in this music. The album title comes from Indian philosophy: Samskaras" are the sum of all mental, physical and psychological impressions left in the body of an individual. Darash takes the opportunity to revisit some of his earlier material, and the players also reflect his recent experiences. Double bassist Daniele Cappucci and drummer Joan Terol Amigó were band-mates on Nomadic Treasures (A. MA ...
Continue ReadingAvi Darash: Impermanence
by Mark Sullivan
Composer/pianist Avi Darash brings both his Israeli heritage and life in Amsterdam into a musical blend which features new compositions and improvisation in equal measure. He was a finalist in the All Around Rome-Jazz Awards for ensembles in 2010, a finalist in the MIMC 2014 for classical Improvisation, and won second place at the Leiden Jazz Awards 2014. His band includes drummer Ofri Nehemya (Avishai Cohen Trio, Omer Avital, Eli Degibri, Aaron Goldberg Trio), double bassist Avri Borochov (Yama Ensemble, ...
Continue ReadingAvi Darash: Impermanence
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Avi Darash, home-based now in the Netherlands, broods beautifully on The Day After," the third tune on his CD Impermanence. His trio mates--bassist Avri Borochov and drummer Ofri Nehemya--offer an intricate yet subtle accompaniment, on a sound that brings the Brad Mehldau Trio to mind, with its floating momentum, cerebral atmosphere and subtle melodic development. Impermanence features the young pianist in trio, solo, trio-with-strings mode. Ambitious? Yes, but Darash is inspired and adept. Happiness," the disc's opener ...
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