Rotem Luz

Rotem Hadassah Luz (b. 1959) is a composer, pianist, and musicologist, currently a senior lecturer at Safed Academic College. Her musical journey began at Tel Aviv University’s Rubin Academy of Music, where she studied piano under Walter Aufhauser, Prof. Pnina Salzman, Prof. Michael Boguslavsky, and Hadassah Gonen. In parallel, she pursued theoretical studies with Prof. Mordechai Seter. After a brief hiatus from academia, she completed her Master’s degree in piano performance (M.Mus.) summa cum laude under Hadassah Gonen’s guidance. Her thesis focused on Robert Schumann’s “Album for the Young” Op. 68 – A Methodological Critique, supervised by Miriam Boscovich. For her final recital in 1991, she performed her own Piano Sonata, showcasing her dual expertise as a performer and composer.

Beyond composition and performance, Luz has been deeply involved in music education and cultural leadership. From 1994 to 1998, she directed the Beit She’an Music Center, expanding the city’s music education initiatives, establishing choirs and instrumental ensembles, and integrating music programs into local schools. She also spearheaded the “Cultural Exchange Project”, in collaboration with the Jewish Agency and Jewish communities in the U.S., where she performed as a pianist, composer, and choir conductor alongside international colleagues.

Since 2009, Luz has been a faculty member in the Department of Arts, Literature, and Music at Safed Academic College. In 2011, she participated in an international conference on Israeli music at the University of London, delivering both a lecture and a recital featuring her compositions alongside works by her father, composer Yehezkel Braun. In 2012, she released a double album (Romeo Records) featuring compositions by both her and Braun, performed with musicians from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2015, Luz earned her Ph.D. in Musicology from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, under the supervision of Prof. Jehoash Hirshberg and Dr. Roni Yeger-Garnot. Her research explored Sonata Form in the 20th Century, integrating structural and cognitive analysis. That same year, she released the album “Reflections on a Melody”, featuring works for flute, piccolo, and piano, including her composition “Cantata 2011”, performed by Lior Eitan and Monica Fallon. In 2017, she co-authored the book “Yehezkel Braun: His Life and Works”, published by Israel Music Institute and Carmel Publishing.

In 2023, Luz performed as a composer and pianist at an international music festival in China. Throughout her career, she has recorded both her compositions and works by various Israeli composers, for solo piano and diverse ensembles. In recent years, she has focused on composing nocturnes for piano, including “Meteorites”, performed by pianist Hagai Yodan.

Alongside her musical career, Luz is actively involved in professional committees for the Israeli Ministry of Culture, participates in academic faculty appointments, and serves on Safed Academic College’s teaching committee. Her work continues to advance Israeli music, blending academic research with artistic creation.