Yitzhak Yedid "Myth of the Cave" (Israel):

Yitzhak Yedid - piano
Nitai Levi - clarinet, bass clarinet
Ora Boasson - double bass

Hailed as a discovery of new music pianist and composer Yitzhak Yedid, regardless of his young age, is one of the most authoritative composers of contemporary jazz in Israel. At 35 he is already a mature, conceptual, subtle and intriguing composer as well as a brilliant and exceptionally resourceful pianist. In his music he blends elements of jazz, 20th-century academic music and traditional music of his native region.

In his compositions one encounters hints of Jewish and Arab folklore or melodies and rhythms of liturgical music, microtonal and natural modes, as well as structural principles characteristic of jazz and new music.

Cosmopolitan musician Yitzhak Yedid was born in 1971 in Jerusalem to a family of Syrian emigrant. He studied jazz at the Rubin Music Academy in Jerusalem and The New England Conservatory in Boston. Upon completing his studies the talented musician returned home and before long was acclaimed as one of the most innovative composers of contemporary improvised music. Today he leads active performing career earning numerous awards and wide recognition.

Yitzhak Yedid is a follower of Gunther Schuller's ideas, which gave birth to a new musical genre - fusion of jazz and academic music - called Third Stream. Together with Ora Boasson he has established and nurtured Jerusalem music series Swedish Chef focusing on Third Stream and original jazz music.

With his project Myth of the Cave Yitzhak Yedid is representing this tendency at the Vilnius Jazz. It is a five-movement suite for clarinet, bass clarinet, double-bass and piano. Its idea stems from the allegory of Cave that Plato used in his The Republic. The concept of cognition and perception of reality is being developed in five markedly programmatic movements. The suite was composed in Jerusalem in 2002 and premiered in Frankfurt (Germany) that same year.

Performance of Myth of the Cave at the Vilnius Jazz festival will feature its original performer double bassist Ora Boasson and saxophonist Nitai Levi.

Yitzhak Yedid's regular partner double bassist Ora Boasson Horev is also a true exponent of Third Stream. Her style, marked by exceptional technique and expression, is a synthesis of contemporary academic music and free improvisation.

Born in 1975 in Jerusalem, the double bassist, like Yitzhak Yedid, studied at the New England Conservatory. Since coming back to Jerusalem, she has been actively performing with ensembles of baroque, contemporary and ethnic music: in 2000-2001 she was a principal double bassist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra Camerata Orchestra, currently is a member of new music ensemble Caprisima and Chameleon Trio. Ora Boasson also collaborates with Israel modern jazz groups and ensembles of free improvised music; teaches double bass at the Petach-Tikwa and Kefar-Saba conservatoires. With various ensembles the double bassist has performed in a number of world's leading jazz festivals.

© Jūratė Kučinskaitė