Benjamin Bar-Am

Composer Benjamin Bar-Am was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to parents of Latvian Russian origin. He immigrated to Palestine in 1936, studied composition with Paul Ben-Haim and furthered his studies in 1950-1951 at the Ecole Normale supérieure in Paris.

He composed vocal and instrumental music, mainly songs for voice and piano. Since 1959 he has been music critic of the Jerusalem Post. During the 1960s and the 1970s he served as general secretary of the Israel Composers’ League. Bar-Am lectured at the Department of Musicology, Tel Aviv University, and taught Jewish liturgical music and music history at the Lewinsky Teachers’ College.

He was awarded several prizes, including ACUM prizes for his pieces My Heart is Steadfast and The Lamentations of Jeremiah.

Bar-Am passed away in 2012 at the age of 89.

Pieces by Benjamin Bar-Am
Little Suite
for recorder and harpsichord
About the creation
The Lamentations of Jeremiah
Motet
for alto, baritone and mixed choir
About the creation
My Little Sister
for alto, violin, violoncello and piano
About the creation
About the creation
My Heart is Steadfast
Cantata
for alto and mixed choir
About the creation
In our Hearts to Endure
Dirge and Fanfare
for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra
About the creation
Three Songs
for voice and piano
About the creation
Two Songs by Mati Katz
for voice and piano
About the creation
Stimmen
for voice, clarinet, horn, percussion and string quartet
About the creation
Kedushah
for cantor, mixed choir and organ
About the creation
Catch on Three Cats
for children's choir
About the creation
And You are Gone
for voice and piano
About the creation
Two Songs of Defiance by Paul Celan
for mezzo-soprano and ensemble
About the creation
Symphony No. 1
for symphony orchestra
About the creation