Re'ut Ben-Ze'ev, Cantorial Soloist
Israeli mezzo soprano Re’ut Ben-Ze’ev won critical acclaim for her “impassioned…” “…bold, committed account…” (The New York Times), “intense expression and pure voice” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ), “emotionally and vocally masterful performance” (New Music Connoisseur ) and “outstandingly beautiful voice and performance” (YIVO News.) Passionate about music of many genres, she has performed operatic and concert repertoire as well as cutting-edge collaborations and is an avid promoter of a wide range of Jewish music.
Re’ut appeared throughout Canada, Europe, Israel, and the United States in venues such as Lincoln Center, Jerusalem Music Centre, Spoleto Festival, USA, Center for Jewish History-YIVO, Der arbiter Ring (Workmen’s Circle), Lucille Lortel Theater, The American Academy in Berlin, the Israel Vocal Arts Institute, the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, on Robert Sherman’s Young Artists Showcase on WQXR and on Kol Hamusika. She collaborated with and/or premiered works by composers such as Pulitzer Prize winning composers David Del Tredici and Yehudi Wyner, Samuel Adler, Matthew Greenbaum, Gil Shohat and Dalit H. Warshaw among many others.
Coached by Mascha Benya z”l-the renowned interpreter of Yiddish songs, Re’ut recorded Yiddish art and folk songs for the Milken Archive of American-Jewish Music on the Naxos Label, accompanied by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Yehudi Wyner and composer John Musto. She also recorded for Furious Artisans, the YIVO Label and Albany Records. As a concerts soloist, she sang repertoire from Hayden’s ARIANNA A NAXOS to Mahler’s LIEDER EINES FAHRENDEN GESELLEN and Adler’s NUPTIAL SCENE with St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra (David Randolph, Conductor), the Arcos Chamber Orchestra, The Israel Chamber Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Jewish Festival Orchestra (Lucas Richman, conductor) Heidelberg Symphony, Germany, ProArte Symphony, CA, among others. She collaborated with various ensembles as the Israel Contemporary Players, Cygnus Ensemble, and the LINK ensemble among others. Ben-Ze’ev performed with artists as clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, members of the Israel and the Berlin Philharmonic, actor Theodore Bickel, Cantor Robert Abelson, Cantor Rafael Frieder, and choreographer Yasmeen Godder (the ensemble was nominated for the Bessie Award) Re’ut was also a finalist in the Kurt Weill Competition.
Her operatic roles include Donna Elvira in Mozart’s DON GIOVANNI (California Music Festival) Adalgisa in Norma (David Jones Opera Ensemble of NewYork) Paride in Gluck’s PARIDE ED ELENA (California Music Festival). Other roles include Octavian (DER ROSENKAVALIER) Anna (DIE SIEBEN TODSÜNDEN.)
Re’ut studied theater in Israel at the Thelma Yelin High school of Performing Arts, where she also toured as the vocal soloist of its Big Band and served in the IDF Theater as a singing actress. She continues her vocal studies with David Jones and coach/conductor William Hicks and pursues “Method” acting studies with Terese Hayden-a protégé of Lee Strasberg. Re’ut began her journey into the world of cantorial music unexpectedly, when the cantor at Temple Shalom, Naples, FL took ill and she was called to fill-in last minute for the High Holidays Services. Since then, she had the pleasure of co-officiating as a Cantorial Soloist in services throughout the east coast.
