Gil Aldema

Gil Aldema was born in Tel Aviv in 1928 and began studying piano at age six. His musical talent was discovered at that early stage, when he began composing melodies and improvising harmonies. His family was a supporter of culture, and in the 1920s his home became a gathering place for artists. Aldema’s father was an artist and a teacher of art at the Herzliya Gymnasium, which Gil attended. He completed his studies in theory at the conservatory of Menashe Ravina, where his harmony teacher was Paul Ben-Haim. After the establishment of the State of Israel, he studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. He was a teacher and conductor and was for some years instructor at Hadassim Youth Village. He spent three years in New York, where he attended the Mannes College of Music (Artist’s Diploma). Upon his return, he worked for the music department at Kol Israel, the Israel broadcasting authority. Within the framework of this position, he arranged and produced many music programs for radio and television. Corresponding to this, he organized groups of singers from within the Rinat choir and from these he formed a vocal ensemble called “Renanim,” ‘which performed and recorded a large number of Hebrew songs in Aldema’s own arrangements.

Gil Aldema is considered one of the leaders in Israeli song. His vocal arrangements have provided the basis for the activities of many musical groups and choirs in Israel. A large number of his arrangements are collected in the book A Vocal Array (2000). He nurtured the spread of Israeli song among all levels of society and directed musical clubs.

In 2004 he was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize. In 2010 he transferred his archives, including his compositions and arrangements, to the National Library. He died in Tel Aviv in 2014.