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Bursary Conductor 2019-2020

Avi Taler
Avi Taler  Photo by Phil Rowley Photography
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Avi Taler

The Bob and Beryl Harding Bursary holder for the 2019-2020 season is Avi Taler

Avi Taler was born in Ashdod, Israel.  He started his musical studies in the age of six in Ashdod’s Akadma Conservatory at the piano class of Mrs. Yanina Kudlik.  In 2016 he completed his orchestral conducting B.Mus in the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel-Aviv University in the classes of Vag Papian, Yi-An Xu, Prof. Yoav Talmi and Ronen Borshevsky.  In 2018 he completed his M.Mus in choral conducting at the Buchann-Mehta School of Music with Ronen Borshevsky.

Avi is currently a postgraduate student at the Royal College of Music in London, studying conducting with Professors Peter Stark and Howard Williams.  He is also the student of RCM guest conductor Martyn Brabbins.  He is the Polonsky Award Holder, supported by Dr Polonsky.  He is also a fellow of the Selma Manders and B’nai B’rith Leo Baeck (London) Lodge Scholarships 2018-2020.

Avi used to serve as the representative youth concert band’s conductor in Ness-Ziona’s Conservatory 2016-2018 and in Ashdod’s Akadma Conservatory in 2015-2017, and participated in the LisbonMusicFest concert tour in 2018.

As a choral tenor, Avi sings at the Gary Bertini Israeli Choir, and participated in projects conducted by Zubin Mehta, Manfred Honeck, Marin Alsop and Ariel Zuckerman.

Avi conducted the Karlovy-Vary Symphony Orchestra (2017), the Ashdod Symphony Orchestra (2017), the Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra (2019), the Royal College of Music Philharmonic Orchestra (2018), the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music Symphony Orchestra (2015-16), the Buchmann-Mehta Carter Chamber Orchestra (2016), the Buchmann-Mehta Oratorio and Chamber Choirs (2015, 2017), and other large and small chamber ensembles.

Avi took part in masterclasses held by Prof. Jac van Steen, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Thomas Zehetmair, Emmanuel Siffert, Holly Matheison, Prof. Joseph Missal, Prof. Joan deAlbuquerque and Gary Graden.  He also took part in the first stage of the Bucharest Conducting Competition 8th edition of 2017.

Avi is the fellow of various awards and honors including:

  • The Colton Foundation Living Scholarship 2017-19
  • The America-Israel Cultural Foundation 2016-2017
  • The Aviva Or-Shalom Foundation Scholarships 2012-2018
  • The Buchmann-Mehta School of Music excellence scholarships 2014, 2015, 2016
  • The Ashdod Foundation Best Musicianship Scholarship 2015
  • The Ashdod Foundation Excellence Scholarship 2015


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