Alon Yavnai

Pianist Alon Yavnai was born in Israel in 1969. He started playing piano at the age of four. At the age of thirteen he was already performing professionally In Israel with singer Nira Rabinovich, performing for children.Alon graduated from the Gyvataim Conservatory in Israel. He attended the Thelma Yalin high school of Arts, where he took an active part in the chamber music program. Upon graduation, Alon was invited to Mishkenot Sha'ananim, Jerusalem, to attend a master class given by world renowned Pianist Menachem Presler, a member of the Beaux Arts Trio. For his graduation concert Alon performed Rhapsody In Blue, by George Gershwin with the Thelma Yalin Symphony Orchestra at Ohel Shem Concert Hall in Tel Aviv.Between the years 1990-1993 Alon lived in Costa Rica where he founded the Orpheus Jazz Trio with drummer Carlomagno Araya. The trio recorded an album for Sony Music, and toured in Central America, including a performance at the Cancun International Jazz Festival.In 1993 Alon arrived in the United States and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. Three years later Alon won the first place in The 1996 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, which led to his three years Artist-In-Residence at Savannah Arts Academy High School in Georgia as the Big band guest arranger and director.In 2001 Alon moved to New York. His most notable appearance was at Carnegie Hall in New York, together with cellist Yo Yo Ma and Clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, performing the Clarinet Trio in A minor by Johannes Brahms. A side from performing regularly with Paquito D'Rivera, Alon is releasing his own album as a bandleader on Obliq Sound Records beginning of next year. This year Alon was commissioned by Paquito D’Rivera to orchestrate the music of Cuban composer and pianist Ernesto Lecuona, for solo piano, solo clarinet and Symphony Orchestra, to be performed next February in Tenerife. In October of this year Alon will perform the Schumann piano concerto in A minor with the Zurich Symphony Orchestra and conductor Christof Escher, at the Tonhalle concert hall, in Zurich.In addition Alon was commissioned several times big band arrangements from the NDR big band, which is based in Hamburg, where he also recorded two live concerts of his own compositions with the band. Some of the concert halls where Alon performed include Colon Theater in Argentina, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Heichal Hatarbut Concert Hall in Israel and Alfredo Kraus Theater in Las Palmas, Canary Islands.In 2006 Alon Yavnai was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Classical Crossover category, together with Paquito D'Rivera and Cellist Mark Summer for their album " The Jazz Chamber Trio", released by Chesky Records.
Alon has also performed in some of the most celebrated Jazz clubs and festivals such as Blue Note Tokyo in Japan, Calle 54 in Spain, Birdland, Jazz Standard, Blue note and Sweet Basil in New York, Bern Jazz festival in Switzerland, Jazz Baltica in Germany, Heineken jazz Festival in Puerto Rico, Cancun International Jazz Festival in Mexico, and Jacksonville Jazz festival among others.Other performance or recording credits include Freddie Hubbard, Joe Lovano, Nancy Wilson, Rosa Passos, Leni Andrade, Louis Hayes, Bob Moses, Ravi Coltrane, Romero Lubambo, Simon Dias, Claudio Roditi, Ben Tucker, Rufus Reid, Oscar Stagnaro, Jim Chapin, George Garzon and Leon "Ndugu" Chansler.Alon took an active part playing for soundtracks, such as the Soundtrack for the ALMA award winner film “The Blue Dinner”, Music by Claudio Ragazzi, Directed by Jan Egleson, “Next Stop Wonderland”, a film produced by Miramax, soundtrack recorded on VERVE records, Music by Claudio Raggazi, "Holding Ground", directed by Mark Lipman, "Houdini"- produced by Nancy Porter for PBS (the American experience).
Currently Alon lives in New York with his wife Julie and their son YonatanTouring Experience includesAfrica- Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Angola Europe- Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, England, Switzerland Central America- Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica South America- Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay The Caribbean- Puerto Rico, Curacao Asia- Japan, TaiwanOther Jazz Festivals and Seminars include- Jazz Street Jazz Festival in Japan
- Bremen Jazz Festival in Germany
- Sitka Jazz Festival in Alaska
- Litchfield Jazz Festival, Connecticut
- Boston Globe Jazz Festival in Boston
- Moab Music Festival in Utah
- Savannah OnStage International Festival For the Arts in Georgia
- Jacksonville Jazz Festival- As a winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Florida
- Huntington Jazz Festival in New York
- International Festival For the Arts in Costa Rica
- International Jazz Festival and seminar in Xalapa, MexicoTeaching experience include- Artist in Residence between the years 1997-2000. Alon has been the Big Band guest director and arranger at the Savannah Arts Academy High School, Savannah, Georgia
- Piano Master classes in different schools, from elementary to college level. Classes cover material such as repertoire from different genres of music, concepts in improvisation, harmony and technique. The purpose is to encourage diversity of styles, improvisation and a stronger rhythmic ability.
- Working with small ensembles at New England Conservatory, and Berklee College of Music
- Teaching privately for the past ten years.
- Jazz seminar in Xalapa, Mexico. Coaching small ensembles, giving master classes about advanced concepts in improvisation, Harmony and private piano lessons.
- Sitka Fine Arts camp in Alaska. Working with children from 10-16, teaching free improvisation, private piano lessons and directing a big band.Awards-2006 Grammy Award nomination for the CD “ the jazz chamber Jazz Trio” together with Paquito D’Rivera in the crossover category.
-2003 Grammy Award together with Paquito D’Rivera in the classical category, as assistant to musical director in “Soldier’s Story, by Igor Stravinsky
- 1996 First Place at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida.