MEET YARDENA

As a child, Yardena was enchanted by the music played by her mother Rachel, an accomplished pianist.

At age four, Yardena sneaked to the door of her neighbor, a piano teacher, and asked her to teach her to play. The teacher, Mrs. Miriam Zilberman, asked her to return in a year, and promised to teach her when she returned. Sure enough, as soon as she turned five, Yardena came back, this time with her mother Rachel, to settle the financial issues.

Yardena learned to read music before she could read and write letters, and by age eight, she composed a Hassidic song, as a birthday present to her beloved grandfather.

By the age 12 Yardena had her first public recital, playing at a charity event raising funds for disabled children.

Yardena continued her piano studies with Prof. Eliahu Rudiakov and Prof. Edith Krauss, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Rubin Academy of Music, at Tel Aviv University in 1973. Subsequently she received a Master of Arts degree (cum laude) in composition, from Bar Ilan University, in Ramat Gan, under the mentorship of Prof. Andre Hajdu and Prof. Gideon Lewensohn.

During her years in Bar Ilan, Yardena was the musical director and producer of the Noon concert series for nine years, and taught sight singing and ear training at the University for over a decade. In addition, she was part of a team that developed the national music education curriculum for high schools.

Yardena is co-author of the text book of music theory published by the Israeli Ministry of Education and used by the music departments of high schools throughout the country. Yardena taught music theory and composition to high school students and undergraduates.

Yardena is an active composer and her works are performed frequently in Israel and abroad.