Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
ABOUT
Mark Eliyahu – Composer, master of the Kamanche and Baglama, musical producer, and arranger.
Mark was born in 1982 in Dagestan in the distant Caucasus mountains and immigrated to Israel with his parents in 1989. Piris Eliyahu – Mark’s father, a Tar player, distinguished musicologist, and composer in the field of Eastern Music (Winner of the 2008 Prime Minister’s Award).
Mark studied the violin from the tender age of 4, but at 16, he decided to leave his school and study Baglama and Turkish music. For that purpose, he lived in the house of the Greek-Irish musical master Ross Daly.
Afterwards, he understood he wanted to devote himself to the study of Persian-Azeri music and the Kamanche, for which he traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, and lived for 2 years as a student of Adalat Vazirov.
In 1999, with his return to Israel, Mark participated in “The Spirit of the East” – a concert and album directed and composed by Mark’s father – Piris Eliyahu, with the participation of the famous Alim Qasimov and his daughter, Esti Kinan-Ofarim, and other artists. That year, he also performed as a soloist with the Israeli Chamber Orchestra of Ramat-Gan in Israel’s Festival.
In 2000, Mark traveled to Europe where he was appointed a composer and performer for the contemporary dance company “Galili Dance” in Holland and “Gulbenkian Dance” dance company in Portugal. Additionally, while traveling the world’s festivals and stages, he was awarded the 1st prize in the “Global Dance” festival.
Throughout 2002-3, Mark was chosen by the European Union and the United Colors of Benetton to represent Israel in the international project Musica Fabrica. For that aim, Mark composed and arranged a musical piece he performed as a soloist together with a Philharmonic orchestra on a tour throughout the world, one of those performances took place at the Nobel Prize awards ceremony.
In Israel, Mark took part in his father’s projects, one of which is the recording of the album “Mizmorim”; he also premiered his own show “Voices of Judea” with which he performed throughout the country.
In 2004, Mark recorded his first solo album “Voices of Judea” and performed with his ensemble throughout Europe and Israel, among the famous stages he performed at are the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Fabrica festival in Italy. The album was released in 2005, and in that year, apart from many live performances, Mark composed music for the theater show “Simple Prayers” by Aliza Elyon Israeli and contributed as a guest performer to many other projects in Israel and abroad.
Since 2006 and until 2010, Mark performed with his second ensemble and show – “The Moon’s Dance”. He co-produced with his father two new albums: “Tehilim (Psalms)” and “Al Hari Bsamim” and performed with his father in Israel’s Festival in their own program “Between the Mountains of Caucus and Judea” with the participation of the famous singer Bimkom Mirzoyev.
He also started the long-standing cooperation with Idan Raichel with whom he performed around the world, composed music for the documentary movie “In Third Form” and performed with his ensemble a new program – “In the Dawn I Will Wait for You”. Among other places, he performed at the Jewish Festival of Krakow, Poland.
In 2011-2012, Mark cooperated with the Brazilian band Javaro while on tour in Brazil, participated as a composer and soloist in the concert series “Casablanca” of the Andalusian Mediterranean Orchestra, composed music for the film “Ballad to the Crying Spring” by the director Benny Toraty.
Mark continues to perform with his ensemble and with his father in Israel and throughout the world, takes part in the performance and recent album of the Israeli singer Rita, for which he arranged Persian traditional songs, as well as taking part in the program “The Red Lipped” by the famous Israeli artist Berry Sacharov in Israel and abroad.
Together with his father, he is staging the programs “The Singing of the Mountain Jews” at the Piyut Festival in Jerusalem, “Circles” at the International Oud Festival, “The Jewish Maqam” at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem, and “The Circle of Life” at the “National Phonetica”. He also produces and records the album “Sands (Holot)” together with his father and premiered the album’s live performance program. Mark participates as a soloist in Jerusalem’s New Orchestra. Recently, Mark received the music award of the Israeli Oscar awards (Ophir Award), the music award at Jerusalem’s Festival, and the ACUM award 2015.
Mark was born in 1982 in Dagestan in the distant Caucasus mountains and immigrated to Israel with his parents in 1989. Piris Eliyahu – Mark’s father, a Tar player, distinguished musicologist, and composer in the field of Eastern Music (Winner of the 2008 Prime Minister’s Award).
Mark studied the violin from the tender age of 4, but at 16, he decided to leave his school and study Baglama and Turkish music. For that purpose, he lived in the house of the Greek-Irish musical master Ross Daly.
Afterwards, he understood he wanted to devote himself to the study of Persian-Azeri music and the Kamanche, for which he traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, and lived for 2 years as a student of Adalat Vazirov.
In 1999, with his return to Israel, Mark participated in “The Spirit of the East” – a concert and album directed and composed by Mark’s father – Piris Eliyahu, with the participation of the famous Alim Qasimov and his daughter, Esti Kinan-Ofarim, and other artists. That year, he also performed as a soloist with the Israeli Chamber Orchestra of Ramat-Gan in Israel’s Festival.
In 2000, Mark traveled to Europe where he was appointed a composer and performer for the contemporary dance company “Galili Dance” in Holland and “Gulbenkian Dance” dance company in Portugal. Additionally, while traveling the world’s festivals and stages, he was awarded the 1st prize in the “Global Dance” festival.
Throughout 2002-3, Mark was chosen by the European Union and the United Colors of Benetton to represent Israel in the international project Musica Fabrica. For that aim, Mark composed and arranged a musical piece he performed as a soloist together with a Philharmonic orchestra on a tour throughout the world, one of those performances took place at the Nobel Prize awards ceremony.
In Israel, Mark took part in his father’s projects, one of which is the recording of the album “Mizmorim”; he also premiered his own show “Voices of Judea” with which he performed throughout the country.
In 2004, Mark recorded his first solo album “Voices of Judea” and performed with his ensemble throughout Europe and Israel, among the famous stages he performed at are the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Fabrica festival in Italy. The album was released in 2005, and in that year, apart from many live performances, Mark composed music for the theater show “Simple Prayers” by Aliza Elyon Israeli and contributed as a guest performer to many other projects in Israel and abroad.
Since 2006 and until 2010, Mark performed with his second ensemble and show – “The Moon’s Dance”. He co-produced with his father two new albums: “Tehilim (Psalms)” and “Al Hari Bsamim” and performed with his father in Israel’s Festival in their own program “Between the Mountains of Caucus and Judea” with the participation of the famous singer Bimkom Mirzoyev.
He also started the long-standing cooperation with Idan Raichel with whom he performed around the world, composed music for the documentary movie “In Third Form” and performed with his ensemble a new program – “In the Dawn I Will Wait for You”. Among other places, he performed at the Jewish Festival of Krakow, Poland.
In 2011-2012, Mark cooperated with the Brazilian band Javaro while on tour in Brazil, participated as a composer and soloist in the concert series “Casablanca” of the Andalusian Mediterranean Orchestra, composed music for the film “Ballad to the Crying Spring” by the director Benny Toraty.
Mark continues to perform with his ensemble and with his father in Israel and throughout the world, takes part in the performance and recent album of the Israeli singer Rita, for which he arranged Persian traditional songs, as well as taking part in the program “The Red Lipped” by the famous Israeli artist Berry Sacharov in Israel and abroad.
Together with his father, he is staging the programs “The Singing of the Mountain Jews” at the Piyut Festival in Jerusalem, “Circles” at the International Oud Festival, “The Jewish Maqam” at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem, and “The Circle of Life” at the “National Phonetica”. He also produces and records the album “Sands (Holot)” together with his father and premiered the album’s live performance program. Mark participates as a soloist in Jerusalem’s New Orchestra. Recently, Mark received the music award of the Israeli Oscar awards (Ophir Award), the music award at Jerusalem’s Festival, and the ACUM award 2015.
