Alon Bor

Career

Bor discovered his musical fascination at the age of 5, studying the violin with Isaac Markowitz – one of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra's premiere soloists. Adding the harmonica to his musical endeavours Bor studied with renowned Israeli artist Shmuel Gogol.

His musical interests shifted as he discovered the xylophone studying with Israel Nishri, and expanding his percussion studies with Gideon Steiner, only to finally moving to New York in order to study with Fred Hinger.

In 1970 Bor joined the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the then un-heard-of age of 18, where he holds both the timpani chair as well as the principal percussion chair, sitting on a Natalie and Mmurray Katz endowed chair.

As a soloist, Bor has fronted the Israel Philharmonic under the baton of some the greatest conductors of our time such as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez and others, and had the privilege of accompanying the greatest of soloists such as Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma.

Bor has released Marimba Dream, the first-ever percussion album in Israel, celebrating the compositions of Israeli icon Nahum Heiman.

Music education

Bor is widely considered as Israel's top percussion educator, drawing students from across the globe to his studio, and heads the percussion department at the Jerusalem Academy For Music And Dance. His students have won accolades and countless international awards, and are members of top orchestras in the US, Europe, Australia and Israel, as well as being world touring soloists in their own right.

A long-time advocate of musical education, Bor has given master classes around the world in top academies and has given young-people concerts to audiences ranging from kindergarten to high-school. At the young age of 58, Bor is considered an icon in the world of classical music in Israel, and is retiring at the end of 2010 to focus on his teaching.

Family

Alon is the third member of the Bor family to join the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; he is married to Anat Bor, an active visual artist, and is the father of jazz artist Dekel Bor.