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Ilan Davidson
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Cantor Ilan Davidson has been pleasing audiences with his singing since before he could read. At age five, he began singing with his Cantor, Philip Moddel, and hasn’t shut up since. At ten, he made his Operatic debut with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen, as a street urchin. Since then, he has performed roles in and scenes from Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, L’Elisir D’amore, Les Pecheûrs du Perles, and Manon, to name a few.
Besides his Operatic experience, Cantor Davidson also has extensive background, performing and directing theatre. He has performed such roles as Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls and Tony in Westside Story, and has produced many one man musical theatre reviews. Ilan has also been the musical and artistic director for many children’s theatre productions.
Among his many accomplishments, Cantor Davidson is also known as a contemporary Jewish songwriter and performer, having delighted audiences all over the world, including Israel and Lithuania with the soulful sounds of his music. As the owner of Davidsound Productions, the Cantor has produced many recordings, including his first original album, Stained Glass, in 1995. Most recently, Ilan’s band, The Moody Jews, released In A Hanukkah Mood. The Moody Jews are working on two more recordings in 2009, including Still In A Hanukkah Mood, a CD of new, original Hanukkah melodies.
After making the choice in 1991 to pursue a career in Jewish Education, Youth Work, and the Cantorate, Cantor Davidson left the stage and in 1995 joined the Temple Beth El family, in San Pedro, where he has brought many new programs and much enthusiasm to the community. In 2007, Cantor Davidson founded KindredSPIRITS, a non-profit humanitarian organization that inspires and educates diverse communities to support its global partners. The inaugural event premiered June 5, 2008 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Whether it is Hazzanut, Pop, Opera, Musical Theatre, or Folk music, Cantor Ilan Davidson shares his soul and genuine love in every note.
When asked about his finest accomplishment, Cantor Davidson invariably responds, “After all the great concerts, services, and roles, my finest role in life is that of husband to my beautiful wife, Jodi, and daddy to my gorgeous daughters, Jordan and Zoe.” |
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Chayim Frenkel
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In his 25 years as Cantor of Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation, Chayim Frenkel has built an impressive career marked by a series of exceptional musical accomplishments. Blessed with a rich, warm tenor voice and an ability to nurture others’ talents, Chayim has become a driving force in the world of modern Jewish music and cantorial practice following in the very large foot-steps of his late father, Hazzan Uri Frenkel z”l.
In 1995, Chayim served as executive director of Meir Finkelstein’s moving oratorio commemorating the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, Liberation.
In 1998, Chayim served as co-chair of the Cantors Assembly’s celebration in honor of the State of Israel’s 50th anniversary. As part of these festivities, he performed at Carnegie Hall and produced a concert in New York’s Central Park, attended by over 10,000 people.
Chayim has also commissioned and produced numerous recordings, including “Nishmat Tzedek – A Righteous Soul,” an orchestral and choral suite in honor of his brother Tzvi, of blessed memory, composed by Chayim’s dear friend, Meir Finkelstein. Chayim and Meir expanded their recording into a book and compact disc package as a gift of healing to those who have lost loved ones in the on-going terrorism that plagues our world.
He lives in Pacific Palisades with his beloved wife, Marsi and two beautiful daughters, Mandi and Molli. |
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Ilysia Pierce
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After pursuing a career in the theatre since childhood, Ilysia says it was “beshert”, meant to be, when Rabbi David Baron heard her sing just over ten years ago! It was after that meeting that Ilysia redirected her life and began her journey as the Cantor of Temple of the Arts in Beverly Hills, California. She has led Shabbat and High Holy Day services since 1999. In 2003 Rabbi David Baron and the Temple produced a CD, Enlighten which has elicited outstanding audience and critical review. Ilysia’s stirring rendition of “We Came to Sing in Jerusalem” was chosen to be on the Keeping the Faith, Voices for Israel 2 CD benefiting survivors of terrorism in Israel. Her vocal talents were also featured in the title song, “Keeping the Faith.”
Ilysia began studying acting, voice and dance at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for the Performing Arts and received her BA in Theatre Arts at California State University, Northridge.
Prior to her tenure at the Temple, Ilysia enjoyed a successful career entertaining audiences on stage, television, nightclubs and in concert. Some of her theatrical highlights include: Disney’s King David, an oratorio concert sparking the reopening of the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York (the original home of the Ziegfeld Follies), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, playing the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Frumah-Sara in Fiddler on the Roof with Theodore Bikel and Lainie Kazan, Eva Peron in Evita which she received a Dramalogue Critics’ Choice award for outstanding performance, and Johanna in Sweeney Todd, to name a few.
Ilysia was thrilled to originate the role of “Miss Oops-A-Daisy” for the nationwide PBS television show, The Huggabug Club, where she was able to teach children “it’s okay to make an oopsie, everyone makes mistakes sometimes!”
Ilysia’s reputation as a consummate entertainer has prompted invitations to sing in concerts as the featured guest artist at local venues, various fundraising events and at Pan Pacific Park’s Holocaust Memorial Yom HaShoah event.
Of all her successes and accomplishments, Ilysia says the one she is most thankful for is that of wife to her supportive husband, David, and mother to her two beautiful children, Braxton and Madison. |
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Dr. Noreen Green
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Dr. Noreen Green is currently conductor and artistic director of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, music director at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, a renowned lecturer on Jewish Music and an accomplished educator who has developed six successful educational programs presented by the orchestra. In addition she is a devoted wife and mother to her husband, Dr. Ian Drew and their two children, Aaron and Hannah.
In seven years she has brought neglected as well as new orchestral works on Jewish themes to the stage; provided an orchestra or chamber ensemble for fund raising events for the LA Jewish community including Shalhevet High School, My Jewish Discovery Place (now the Zimmer Children’s Museum), Israel Bonds, Mt Sinai Memorial Park, Jewish Federation – both city and Valley Alliance, Sinai Akiba, and Maimonides; performed three Greek Theater concerts for Blazer Communications, and performed in Israel.
Dr. Green received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting under the well-known conductor John Alexander at California State University, Northridge. For ten years she was the Music Director at Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge and from 1981 to 1990, Noreen was the conductor of the American Jewish Choral Society. During her tenure she directed an eclectic variety of Yiddish, Hebrew and Ladino choral works. As a specialist in Nowakowsky’s music, Dr. Green lectured at the Second International Festival of Jewish Music in Odessa, Ukraine and in Dresden, Germany, at a colloquium of Eastern European Jewish music performed under totalitarian rule. She also presented a workshop at the Reform Cantor’s Convention in Toronto.
From 1986 to 1992, Dr. Green was an Assistant Professor at CSUN where she conducted the Woman’s Chorale, the Chamber Singers, and served as Music Director for CSUN Musical Theater productions. In the summer of 1991, Noreen was a conducting fellow at the Oregon Bach Festival, where she worked with Helmuth Rilling. In the summer of 1993, Noreen participated in the conducting seminar at the Aspen Music School , where she worked with conductor Murry Sidlin. With his encouragement, Noreen developed the concept for and then founded the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. |
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