Eitan Steinberg

Prof. Eitan Steinberg (born in Jerusalem, 1955) is the recipient of ACUM Lifetime Achievement Award (2014), Landau Prize (2010) and Israel’s Prime Minister’s Composition Award (2007, 2018). His compositions include orchestral, chamber, choral, solo and music-theater works, and alongside them, as an ongoing life project, artistic arrangements of numerous folk songs from various ethnic communities. His compositions are frequently performed in Israel, Europe and the USA, and his unique musical language wins audience and critical acclaim. Some of his works are inspired by ethnic and early music, and other works explore the use of text, language and voice in innovative ways. Performers of Steinberg’s music include Israel’s best orchestras, ensembles and soloists, alongside prominent musicians abroad, among them conductor Andres Mustonen (Estonia), conductor Vakhtang Kakhidze (Georgia), conductor Richard Pittman and ensemble “Boston Musica Viva” (USA) and violist Kim Kashkashian (USA). Steinberg’s collaboration with his wife, vocalist and multi-disciplinary artist Etty BenZaken, has yielded more than thirty works composed for her voice. Together they have founded the unique multi-cultural and multi-stylistic ensemble “Modalius”, in which Steinberg acted as artistic director, conductor, composer and arranger. Steinberg’s music was recorded in 15 albums, as well as in many radio and TV recordings. Alongside his activity as a composer, he has had a prolific pedagogic career for four decades. Between 2000-2023 he has been part of the Music Department in the University of Haifa, where he drew inspiration and hope from working with Jewish and Arab students together. Today he is full Professor, Emeritus. Steinberg’s own education includes composition studies at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy (BA, MA), the Chigiana Academy in Italy (Diploma), and the University of California at Berkeley, USA (Ph. D) 

Eitan Steinberg’s and Etty BenZaken’s joint website: www.benzaken-steinberg.com