"A young and brilliant pianist with an impeccable technical reliability and a reading charged with the most deeply rooted musical tradition. It is not only technique, but rather judgment, and a tempo that doesn't seek the brightness of velocity, but the tranquillity of profoundness."
"Ishay Shaer’s playing is a revelation in velvet sonority.... an impressive homogeneity of sound in all registers.... the music is borne along by itself, played outside of time or space.... an irreproachable technique, suppleness, intensity, and a sense of dynamics.... an interpreter who stands in a class by himself"
Marie-Aude Roux, Le Monde, France, 2018
"Young Israeli pianist Ishay Shaer, violinist Liza Ferschtman and cellist Quirine Viersen held the audience spellbound in an almost hypnotic trance. The listeners were so enthralled that they even forgot to cough! Could they have been witness to the birth of a new piano trio?" (this February Festival concert in The Hague was chosen by NRC as one of the very best chamber music performances of 2017 in the Netherlands)
Joost Galema, NRC, The Netherlands, 2017
"The sublime execution of Schumann’s Etudes Symphoniques was the hallmark of a truly all-round pianist ... a wonderful example of surprisingly calm pianistics ... a remarkable recital, deeply-warm-dark-red, full of suppressed passion and deeply rooted tradition. Reminds one of Murray Perahia, poet among pianists."
Solo recital at Kamermuziek Souvenir, Tilburg, the Netherlands, 2015
Having performed in numerous concerts throughout the world to great critical acclaim, Ishay Shaer is quickly becoming one of the leading pianists of his generation.
His performances include, among others, recitals at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, UK; Preston Bradley Hall in Chicago, USA; Sala Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Teatro Solís, Uruguay. He has taken part in musical events such as Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse (France), Montreal Bach Festival, Gdansk Music Festival, Dr Anton Philipszaal piano series and Kamermuziek Souvenir (Netherlands), Sociedad Filarmónica de Lima and Fundación Beethoven (Chile). In addition, he has performed as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile.
In November 2017, Shaer released an album dedicated to late works by Beethoven, with the British label Orchid Classics. The album was highly praised in music magazines such as the BBC Music Magazine and Codalario Magazine, where the critic wrote: "Fortunately for us, [Shaer] pursues the individuality of his sound and looks for his own interpretative lines … an interpreter attentive to details, who has a very careful sound and shows a wonderful understanding of the musical discourse ... This is an essential recording on the shelf of any music lover."
In recent years Ishay Shaer has established himself as a reputable chamber music performer. He has played with Mischa Maisky, Quirine Viersen, Liza Ferschtman, Antje Weithaas, Simone Lamsma, Carducci Quartet, Bennewitz Quartet, the RTÉ Contempo Quartet and Aviv Quartet.
Shaer's upcoming concerts include recitals in South America, Belgium, France and Germany and chamber music at the ‘Februari Festival’ in the Hague, Netherlands.
The second edition of the Februari Festival will be launched in The Hague’s Nieuwe Kerk on Wednesday, 13 February. After a successful first edition in 2018, which focused on Fanny and Felix...
From the review by Aart van der Wal / OpusKlassiek, November 2017: "Shaer allows himself a great deal of poetic license, in which his foremost priority is to infuse the works he is playing with a...
"Ishay Shaer’s playing is a revelation in velvet sonority.... an impressive homogeneity of sound in all registers.... the music is borne along by itself, played outside of time or space.... an irreproachable technique, suppleness, intensity, and a sense of dynamics.... an interpreter who stands in a class by himself"
Marie-Aude Roux, Le Monde, France, 2018
"Young Israeli pianist Ishay Shaer, violinist Liza Ferschtman and cellist Quirine Viersen held the audience spellbound in an almost hypnotic trance. The listeners were so enthralled that they even forgot to cough! Could they have been witness to the birth of a new piano trio?" (this February Festival concert in The Hague was chosen by NRC as one of the very best chamber music performances of 2017 in the Netherlands)
Joost Galema, NRC, The Netherlands, 2017
Having performed in numerous concerts throughout the world to great critical acclaim, Ishay Shaer is quickly becoming one of the leading pianists of his generation.
His performances include, among others, recitals at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, UK; Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Poland; deSingel, Belgium; Preston Bradley Hall in Chicago, USA; Sala Sinfonica Pablo Casals in Puerto Rico, Sala Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Teatro Solís, Uruguay.
He has taken part in musical events such as Piano aux Jacobins in Toulouse (France), Montreal Bach Festival, Gdansk Music Festival, Swansea Festival of Music and Arts, Dr Anton Philipszaal piano series and Kamermuziek Souvenir (Netherlands), Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Sociedad Filarmónica de Lima, Semanas Musicales de Frutillar, Fundación Beethoven (Chile) and Israel Festival. In addition, he has performed as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile and the McGill Chamber Orchestra.
Ishay Shaer was awarded first prize in the 2006 Newport International Competition in the UK, and a year later won third prize in the "Silvio Bengalli" International Piano Competition in Italy. In his home country, he has received several awards, including the prestigious Clairmont prize. In 2009 he was a prizewinner at the International Beethoven Competition in Bonn.
Throughout the years, Shaer has been supported by esteemed organizations, such as the America-Israel Cultural Foundation and the Swiss Orpheum Foundation, being included in its promotion programme for young soloists. He began piano studies at the age of 7 with Mrs. Hanna Barzilai and later studied with Dr. Asaf Zohar. He studied at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music of Tel Aviv University (in cooperation with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) with Prof. Tomer Lev and Prof. Arie Vardi, and finished his Bachelor's degree with distinction. He was also instructed by renowned artists, such as Daniel Barenboim, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Murray Perahia and Matti Raekallio.
In November 2017, Shaer released an album dedicated to late works by Beethoven, with the British label Orchid Classics. The album has been played in prominent radio stations, including BBC Radio 3, France Musique and WQXR (New York), and was highly praised in music magazines such as the BBC Music Magazine and Codalario Magazine, where the critic wrote: "Fortunately for us, [Shaer] pursues the individuality of his sound and looks for his own interpretative lines … an interpreter attentive to details, who has a very careful sound and shows a wonderful understanding of the musical discourse ... This is an essential recording on the shelf of any music lover."
In recent years Ishay Shaer has established himself as a reputable chamber music performer. He has played with Mischa Maisky, Quirine Viersen, Liza Ferschtman, Antje Weithaas, Simone Lamsma, Carducci Quartet, Bennewitz Quartet, the RTÉ Contempo Quartet and Aviv Quartet. His arrangement for piano trio of Beethoven's 'The Tempest' piano sonata has garnered praise and was described as "an immeasurably pleasing masterwork… sounded like one of Beethoven's finest trios" by Haaretz newspaper.
Shaer's concerts in 2019 include recitals in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, chamber music at the 'Februari Festival' in the Hague, Netherlands and solo performances ánd chamber music in Israel and Canada.
Video
Late Beethoven, Ishay Shaer, Orchid Classics, November 2017
Ravel: Concerto for the Left Hand (Cadenza)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, KV 453 (excerpt)
Programme I Beethoven: Eleven Bagatelles, Op. 119 Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit Schubert: Sonata in A major, D. 959
Programme II Bach: Partita No. 4 in D major, BWV 828 Beethoven: Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 Chopin: Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54 Prokofiev: Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 82
Programme III Beethoven: 6 Variations on "Nel cor più non mi sento" Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Bartók: Out of Doors, Sz. 81 - Sonatina, Sz. 55 Beethoven: Sonata in E flat major, Op. 81 'Les Adieux' Schumann: Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26
Programme IV Beethoven: Six Bagatelles, Op. 126 Debussy: Images, book II Berlioz/Liszt: Un bal from Symphonie Fantastique Schumann: Etudes Symphoniques, Op. 13
Programme V Beethoven: Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101 - Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28
Programme VI Bartók: Out of doors, Sz. 81 Chopin: Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54 Beethoven: Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110 Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Programme VII Bach: Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, BWV 825 - Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971 - Prelude & Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869 - Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830 Bach/Busoni: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme - Nun freut euch, lieben Christen
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Reviews
Quotes from CD-reviews Ishay Shaer - Late Beethoven
Rodolphe Bruneau-Boulmier et Emilie Munera, FRANCE MUSIQUE Radio: "Programme audacieux et risqué... Mais ce jeune homme n'a pas à rougir; le résultat est bien plus que convainquant".
Herbert Hiess, EVOLVER magazine, Austria:"Shaer shows impressive musicality and maturity for these musically extraordinarily difficult works. At just under 35, he interprets them in a way that pianists usually do not demonstrate until the end of their musical lives. Unconditional recommendation!" (5 stars)
Hugo Papbst, ClassiqueNews, France: "Aucun doute, Ishay Shaer a beaucoup de choses à nous dire sur la question de Beethoven. Sa compréhension du compositeur, sa retenue très riche en intentions retient immédiatement I'attention et nourrit I'écoute... Ishay Shaer appartient à la génération nouvelle de pianistes au tempérament mûr, très inspiré par le répertorie défendu... A suivre évidemment".
Annie Bergen, WQXR radio, New York:"Insightful performance"
Alex Baran, The WholeNote magazine, Canada: "[An] exceptional and sensitive performance... He plays from inside the works with profound affection... Shaer never misses the chance to explore a little deeper".
Steve Moffat, Limelight magazine, Australia: "Shaer exploits shifting moods and technical challenges with all the aplomb you would expect of a young pianist who has been mentored by the likes of Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim and Murray Perahia...This mature and authoritative collection of late Beethoven - should do a lot to put him on the international radar". (4,5 stars)
BBC Music Magazine, UK: "An accomplished and thoughtful debut" (4,5 stars)
Klassik am Sonntag, Germany:„Hier ist ein Pianist zu hören, der mit Sensibilität, Geschmack und Noblesse spielt. Der Farben aus einer reichen Palette mischt, Stimmen mit Kalkül führt und dem Hörer lauter kleine Kunstwerke präsentiert.“
Aart van der Wal, OpusKIassiek magazine, The Netherlands:"This young Israeli pianist is an eminent performer of Beethoven's music ... hearing Shaer at work on these pieces is like a breath of fresh air".
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101 - No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 - Bagatelles, Op. 119 & Op. 126
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