
Ayala Asherov
From Israeli/American composer


Ayala Asherov - 1968 -
I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a family of actors. (both my grandparents were among the founders of Israel's Nation Theatre - Habima). Influenced by and drown to drama from a very early age, I found my path and dramatic expression through music.
My music ranges from songwriting to music in the concert hall to programmatic and multimedia including film, theater, museum exhibitions and dance. My songs are published and recorded by celebrated Israeli artists, “Along the Sea” (“Le’Orech Ha Yam”) (lyrics and music), was recorded by Israeli renowned singer Ofra Haza (1994), and has become one of the most recorded songs in modern Israeli musical history. After Graduating Berklee College of Music in Boston (Bachelor of Music in composition and in film scoring) (1998) I went on to receive my Masters in film scoring at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (2000). Since my intimate relationship with words and drama was something I always felt strongly about, in creating music, I have always looked for opportunities to collaborate with other artistic disciplines.
Selected Works:
South Carolina ETV (PBS) documentary series, “Carolina Stories” scored “The Forgotten Founder”, and “The Baruchs of Hobcaw”, Scored for an Israeli Educational Television documentary series on the Israeli theater entitled “Second Act”.
“Elements”, a suite for original dance, Commissioned by the Department of Theater and Dance at the College of Charleston compositions. “Prelude to a Kiss and a Dance” was performed by the Namaste Ensemble in Rome, Italy, accompanied by dancers from the University of Southern California, Irvine. Beh’Resheet (“In the Beginning” combining text from the Scripture) , for chamber orchestra, commissioned and premiered by Magnetic South (New Music Initiative), a collaborative program between the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the College of Charleston School of Music.
I have also continued to record and perform my own songs in my albums, “Crossing the River” Album Lyrics and Music in Hebrew, “Colors & Shapes” album as singer songwriter of original songs in English, “Hitting the Keys” an EP culminating new original songs supported by a grant from ACUM. Publishing original chamber works on the album “Cycles of the Moon” was released by PARMA Recordings under Nexus, Time and the Hour an album with 8 new original chamber works with Navona label.
Featured in Israel Music Fest:
“Nocturnal Dialogues”, suite for flute and piano, “David in Love”, a chamber song cycle for Tenor and Chamber Ensemble based on lyrics of internationally renown playwright Joshua Sobol, “Crystal Watch”, for percussion ensemble, Tremolo.
“David in Love” produced by the Tzavta Theatre in Tel Aviv, a full length Chamber Opera directed and written by playwriter Joshua Sobol featuring two singers and a five piece ensemble.
Selected Award:
Recipient of the Wild Acres Residency, winner of the Chamber Music Composition Award at the biennial Athena Music Festival for her flute trio “Seasons”, winner of the ASCAPlus Award. Recipient of the South Carolina Film Commission Indie Grants Award for “PencilPoint”, an animated short film which I conceived and scored for orchestra
Teaching Experience
In addition to my activities as a composer, I launched my interactive educational program “Music Tells The Story”™ for inner city schools in collaboration with Communities in Schools ,The Addlestone Foundation, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra reaching out as a composer and a performer with CSO musicians to public schools in underserved communities to help young students better understand literature and music. I continued the program as a presenter and composer, with a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission and The Target Corporation. It was executed with great success in Israel with support from Karev Foundation.
College of Charleston (2014 – 2017)
The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance (2018 – 2022)
Three Rivers
Clarinet, Viola, Piano;
2010
Contact Composer
Three Rivers –by Ayala Asherov
Premiered on Jan. 24// 2010 in McCormick, SC
The piece has been released on CLAVIATURES under PARMA Recordings 2011
With Doug Graham, clarinet, Neil Casey, viola and Winifred Goodwin, piano
Columbia, South Carolina has three beautiful rivers running through it//… The Congaree, Broad, and Saluda//…the music the three rivers make was not enough to form a piece…. I felt it needed something more//….it needed the person that stands on the bridge overlooking the rivers// to be touched by the current….to be touched by the movement//….. Each river has a different flow and feel…...but they are all rivers that carry us to the next place if we only let ourselves go there……//
Listen to the water in the rivers running between one to next, play as if you are listening to the rivers.