Ami Maayani (; January 1936 – February 17, 2019) was an Israeli composer. The founder and conductor of the Israel National Youth Orchestra, the Tel Aviv Youth Orchestra, the Haifa Youth Orchestra and the Technion Symphony Orchestra, from 1970 to 1973 and 1976–1980 he was the chairman of the Israel Composers' League. Of note is Maayani's Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Qumran and Serenade in D. Zvi Keren in his book Contemporary Israeli music: its sources and stylistic development (1980) said "The works of Ami Maayani, which have formed a continuation and extension of this school, have a style which might be described as post-Eastern-Mediterranean." The American Organist said, "The lush improvisatory elements and Arabic modal influences in the music of Ami Maayani complement the pandiatonic polyphony of Yuval Rabin. Sabin Levi, on the other hand, employs minimalism and Sephardic folklore."
Ami Maayani died of cancer on 17 February 2019, at age 82.
Recorded works Selected recordings of works by Ami Maayani include:
Album / title Works Performers Label / catalogue ReferenceMusic for HarpTriptique (Toccata, Maqamat, Passacaglia), Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2, Five Pieces for the Young HarpistNaoko Yoshino, harpIMP Digital / FONS 02-9420Four Baroque SonatasSonata for Solo Violin; Sonata for Solo Cello; Sonatina for Guitar; Sonatine en trioBing Jing Yu, violin; Natalia Khoma, cello; Tali Roth, guitar; Orit Wolf, pianoIMP Digital / FONS 01-2096Piano Music – Percussion MusicAvant Propos; Deux Préludes pour piano; Deux Impromptus; Concerto for Percussion and Two Pianos; Three PreludesAviram Reichert, Orit Wolf, Josef Reshef, pianos; Chen Zimbalista, percussion; Israel Academy of Music Percussion Ensemble; Alon Bor, conductorIMP Digital / FONS 02-2096Harp TriosBeethoven–Maayani; Ibert; DebussyAmir Sela, flute; Fiona Vanderspar-Simon, violin; Richard L. Simon, viola; Ruth Maayani, harpFONS 36-2001Maayani Conducts MaayaniJüdische Lieder – Song Cycle No. 2; Concerto for Percussion and Eight Wind InstrumentsEdna Prochnik, mezzo-soprano; Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra; Gideon Steiner, percussion; Israel Philharmonic EnsembleFONS 36-2002Harp Chamber MusicArabesques Nos. 1 and 2; Trio for Harp, Flute and Viola; Quartet for Harp and String Trio; Deux MadrigauxRuth Maayani, harp; Noam Buchman, flute; Nitai Zori, violin; Gad Lewertoff, viola; Hillel Zori, cello; Israel Woodwind QuintetFONS 36-2003Music for ViolinConcerto for Violin and Orchestra; Sonata for Solo ViolinLydia Mordkovitch, violin; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Mendi RodanFONS 36-2004The Harp ConcertiConcerto No. 1 for Harp and Orchestra; Concertino for Harp and String Orchestra; Arabesque No. 3 for Harp QuartetSusanna Mildonian, harp; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Carl St. Clair; Ruth Maayani, harp; T. A. String Nonet; Nayden Todorov; Pacific Harp EnsembleFONS 36-2006Concerto for Viola and Orchestra / Concerto for Guitar and OrchestraConcerto for Viola and Orchestra; Concerto for Guitar and OrchestraDaniel Benyamini, viola; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; David Shallon; Sharon Isbin, guitar; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Kazuhiro KoizumiFONS 36-2007Symphonic MusicRégalim; Qumran; Ouverture solennelle; Scherzo méditerranéenIsrael Philharmonic Orchestra; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Zubin Mehta; Eliahu Inbal; Lawrence FosterFONS 36-2008Hebrew Poems from Spain – Books I–IVHebrew Poems from SpainAnna Skibinsky, Marla Joffe, Silvie Bendova, sopranos; Ira Barsky, mezzo-soprano; Anat Eini, alto; David Sebba, baritone; Guy Bonné, bass-baritone; Ruth Maayani, harpFONS 36-2009Chamber MusicPoème; Sonatine en trio; Brass QuintetNoam Buchman, flute; Yigal Tuneh, violin; Miriam Hartman, viola; Alexander Kaganovski, cello; Yevgeny Yehudin, clarinet; Hillel Zori, cello; Orit Wolf, piano; Ram Oren, Yigal Meltzer, Michael Slatkin, Stewart Taylor, Shmuel HershkoFONS 36-2010Arabesques Nos. 1–5Arabesques Nos. 1–5Grace Wong, harp; Noam Buchman, flute; Ruth Maayani, harp; Pacific Harp Ensemble; Chamber Ensemble of the Israel Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University; Ami Maayani; Sabin Levi, organFONS 36-2011Twelve Fantasies for Piano in Prelude and Fugue FormTwelve Fantasies for PianoArtists of the Faculty of the Tel Aviv Academy of Music; children from the Givatayim ConservatoryFONS 36-2012-2String Quartet / String TrioString Quartet; String TrioAlexander Mayorov, Natalya Yuchimchuk, violins; Anton Yaroshenko, viola; Alexey Makarov, celloFONS 36-2013Concerto pour octuor / Concerto symphoniqueConcerto pour octuor; Concerto symphoniqueMarcelo Ehrlich, flute; Dima Malkin, oboe d’amore; Elad Avakrat, bass clarinet; Naama Golan, trumpet; Gitit Alpert Boazson, harp; Yizhar Kershon, harpsichord; Amos Boazson, viola; Eyal Ganor, double bass; Israel Sharon, conductor; Florence Sitruk, harp; Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg; Romely PfundFONS 36-2014Between Yiddish and LadinoJüdische Lieder – Song Cycles Nos. 1 and 2; Five Sephardic SongsWilly Haparnass, baritone; Mira Zakai, alto; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Mendi Rodan; Ami Maayani; Vilnius Municipal Choir “Jauna Muzika”; Vaclovas AugustinasFONS 36-2016Violin and Harp MusicPartita en mode phrygien; Sonata for Solo Violin; Passacaglia dans le style orientalSivann Maayani Zelikoff, violin; Ruth Maayani, harpFONS 36-2017The Polyphonic ViolinArabesque No. 6 for Solo ViolinSivann Maayani Zelikoff, violinFONS Music FoundationMusikalische PerlenArabesque No. 2 for Flute and HarpFlute and harp duo albumArs ProduktionToccataToccata for harpElisa Netzer, harpSolo harp albumMusic 1967, Violin Concerto, Violoncello ConcertoMusic 1967; Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto for Violoncello and OrchestraLydia Mordkovitch, violin; Uzi Wiesel, cello; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Mendi RodanIsrael Classical Productions / IBATal, Maayani, Avni, KaminskiIncludes a work by Ami MaayaniIsrael Philharmonic Orchestra; Zubin MehtaHelicon / Israel Music Anthology
References
External links Official site