Yitzhak Yedid

Yitzhak Yedid (Hebrew: יצחק ידיד, born 29 September 1971) is an Israeli-Australian composer of modern classical music. He is also a pianist and teacher.

Yedid has won many awards, including the Azrieli Music Prize in 2021 for his work Kiddushim Ve' Killulim, the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship in 2019, and the Landau Prize for Performing Arts in 2009. His music style mixes jazz, Jewish cantor music, European classical traditions, and experimental music. He is known as one of the most original composers today.

Yedid's work focuses on interfaith dialogue and mixing different cultures. He is inspired by Middle Eastern culture, ancient rituals, Arabic music, and non-Western music styles.

Yitzhak Yedid also performs sacred Judaeo-Sephardic and Middle Eastern music in piano concerts.

Biography

Yedid was born in Jerusalem and since 2008 he calls Australia home. He studied in Jerusalem (Rubin Academy), Boston, MA (New England Conservatory) and Melbourne (Monash University). His expertise as a composer is in the integration of non-European musical elements, including improvisation, with Western practice. His compositions explore new forms of integrating classical Arabic music, Arabic-influenced Jewish music and contemporary Western art music.

Yedid is a Sidney Myer Creative Fellow and Gallop House Composer in Residence. His awards include the top two prizes in Israel for classical performers and composers: the Prime Minister's Prize for Composers (2007) and the Landau Prize for Performing Arts (2009). In 2008 Yedid was awarded a commission composition prize for his solo harp piece at the 17th International Harp contest. Yedid was also awarded a composer-in-residence position at the Judith Wright Centre (Brisbane, 2010) and at the Western Australian Academy of Performing arts (2008).