Yehuda Levy

Yehuda Levy was borne in December 1939 in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1953, he emigrated, together with his family to Israel. Yehuda completed his high-school studies at the Regional School in Kibbutz Negba, during which he reached a virtuoso level in Accordion. After his military service, as a Lieutenant in the Artillery forces, he became in 1960, a full member of the Kibbutz.

His passion to music goes back to the days when he was a member of the Synagogue’s children choir and his acquaintance with the classical repertoire during his accordion lessons.

In 1968, Yehuda completed his B.Mus. in composition and conducting at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem under the tuition of Prof. Y. Sadai, Prof. H. Alexander and Prof. Mandy Roden. After his graduation Yehuda taught music at the Tzafit Regional High school and was appointed as Director of the three Kibbutz Movement Youth Orchestras (Symphonic, Strings and Brass).

In 1973 he was sent by the World Zionist Agency to serve as a Cultural Advisor to the Jewish community in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and in 1976 he was granted a Graduate assistant scholarship by the Music Department of the Cleveland State University, where he specialized in electronic and contemporary music, with a focus on the Polish School’s (Penderecki, Lutoslawsky, Gorecky) new orchestration and techniques. During his graduate studied Yehuda developed a new graphic notation for electronic playback score, a revolutionary Quadro-scopic score, performed simultaneously from its four sides, by four players and four tape recorders (4x4x4). His thesis composition, “Dedication” for 78 players with single parts, was premiered at his graduate concert by the Cleveland Suburban Symphonic Orchestra, and later (1986) recorded for broadcasting by the Jerusalem Symphonic Orchestra.

In 1984 Yehuda represented Israel at the Gaudeamus Int’l Contemporary Music Festival in the Nederland, and some of his works represented Israel at the ISCM competitions. Since his return to Israel in 1977, Yehuda served as the supervisor of the regional music education in the Upper Galilee, and served as a member of the steering committee who founded the famous “Chamber Music Festival in Kfar Blum”, where two of his major compositions were premiered (2004 and 2007), as General Mgr. (1992) of the prestigious “Tel Hai Int’l Piano Master classes”, and a guest artist to the “Tel Hai Outdoors Art Festival, where his “Autophonia” for eights cars, eight music educated drivers, a conductor and a Traffic light was performed twice in Tel Hai’s parking lot. 

Yehuda, who grew up until the age of 14 to the sounds of synagogue music, Arabic and oriental music, and further crossed the lines to the classic and modern styles, tries to combine in his works both ends of his personal musical background and his academic education.

Beside his musical activities Yehuda holds an LL.B. Law degree, served (1996-2011) as Tel Hai College’s Head of the Academic Administration, English Editor (2012-15) of Haifa University’s Law Faculty bulletin “Law and Medicine” and acts today as the Legal Dept. Director (since 1993) of “Epilady 2000 LLC” and as the Scientific Administration Secretary of the “Migal Galilee Research Institute” (Since 2007).