Yaniv d'Or

Yaniv Elijah D’Or (born March 11, 1980) is an established Countertenor with an unique voice, enabling him to perform many styles of opera, from baroque to contemporary works. His wide palette of muscular vocal colours and talent for movement, coupled with strong acting abilities have won him high acclaim from critics across the world.

Early life

Yaniv d’Or was born in Israel to a musical family that originated in Libya. From a very early age, he was exposed to folk music of the two cultures. However, his classical education began accidentally at the age of 11, while listening to the radio. On came Monterverdi madrigals which captivated him. This experience captured his imagination and reminded him of his origins.Yaniv followed this early passion for music whilst studying at his local specialist music high school in Holon, and this provided him with numerous opportunities and opened up the whole world of classical music, teaching him the basics of music theory, music literature and vocal technique. Following the discovery of his brother David as a countertenor, Yaniv felt very natural singing falsetto, particularly given that his voice did not break in adolescence. From when he was a soprano boy, it was clear he would continue to sing in the upper register.

Early career

Yaniv finished his high school education by giving a full length vocal recital as a countertenor, covering five periods of music, something which had never before been done in Israel. This produced high marks for Yaniv and resulted in him being invited to study at the Academy of Music, in Jersualem.

Soon after completing high school, Yaniv joined the army, as part of his military service, as the soloist of the National Air-force Orchestra, a big band orchestra consisting of top musicians from across the country. There he performed a repertoire from classical, jazz, musicals and contemporary music. Following his completion of his military service, he completed one more year at the Academy of Music and shortly after, left Israel to take up an offer for him to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, in London. At the Guidhall, Yaniv studied under David Pollard and other world-class teachers. During his studies, it became clear that an operatic career was Yaniv’s destiny.

Recent career

Since completing his formal study, Yaniv’s career has really taken off to become one of the most in-demand countertenors of his generation. His operatic experience now includes the title roles in Handel – Giulio Cesare & Ottone, Gluck – Orfeo and Cavalli – Orion; Oberon (Britten – A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Voice of Apollo (Britten – Death in Venice), Nerone and Ottone (Monterverdi – L’incoronazione di Poppea), Sorceress (Purcell – Dido & Aeneas), Tolomeo (Handel – Giulio Cesare), Medoro (Handel – Orlando) and Arsamenes (Handel – Xerxes)

More recently, Yaniv been working on more contemporary pieces. He has created the roles of Rabbi Elbaz in Josef Bardanashvilli’s recent work, ‘Journey to the End of the Millennium’, for New Israeli Opera/Teatro dell Opera di Roma , and the Barman/Taxi Driver in John Wolfe Brennan’s Night.Shift, in Switzerland, both to critical acclaim.

Other concert and recital experience includes Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater, Gloria and Nisi Dominus at the NCH in Dublin, Monterverdi’s Vespers in Trondheim Cathedral, Bach St Matthew Passion in the Dome des Invalides, Paris, Carrissimi Jephte in Innsbruck, and Handel’s Messiah & Israel in Egypt with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

In 2005, Yaniv was honoured to perform in the presence of HM the Queen, at Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster, London, which was broadcast by the BBC. Yaniv has also appeared on television and radio in the many countries where he has performed.

Yaniv has previously worked with the likes of Franco Zeffirelli, James Bowman, Dame Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Graham Johnson and Vera Rosza.

His next engagement will be as Tolomeo - Handel’s Giulio Cesare, with the Gothenburg Opera under Laurence Cummings.

Yaniv is also currently working on recording his first album.

References

* [http://www.yanivdor.com/ Official Yaniv d'Or's website]
* [http://www.israel-opera.co.il/eng/ The Israeli Opera]
* [http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/ The Guidhall School of Music and Drama, London]
* [http://www.jamd.ac.il/English/index.php The Academy of Music, Jerusalem]
* [http://www.operaroma.it/ Rome Opera House]
* [http://www.opera.lt/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabID=329 Lithuania National Opera]
* [http://www.daviddor.com/index.htm David d'Or's official website]
* [http://guybarzilayartists.com/artist.asp?ID=87 Guy Barzilay Artists website]
* [http://www.aicf.org/ American-Israel Cultural Foundation]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXKoDBjTz4U Working with Franco Zeffirelli]