Avi Ostrowsky

Avi Ostrowsky is a music director originally from Israel. He studied with Gary Bertini and Mordechai Seter in the Rubin Academy of Tel Aviv. He then studied with Hans Swarowsky in the Music Academy of Vienna and with Franco Ferrara in Italy. While studying in Vienna his talent was rapidly recognized by his teachers which permited him to coast through the three year programme in only two years. In 1968 he won the first prize in the Nikolai Malko contest in Copenhagen. That same year he became artistic director of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, position which he held until 1972. In 1970 he established the Israel Kibbutz Orchestra, which he directed until 1974 and again from 1998 to 2003. In 1973 he founded the Beer Sheva Sinfonietta and directed it until 1978 when he was named director of the Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra, position which he held until 1984. Form 1989 to 1993 he led the Radio Norway Symphonica. Since then he has been invited to conduct many orchestras around the world. London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, UNAM Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra (Philharmonica Hungarica) are among the ones interested in his working with them. He toured Australia with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.He has recorded Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps" and "Petrushka" as well as the Mahler and Schubert symphonies and Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique", among others.He currently lives near Tel-Aviv and occasionally resides in Brussels. He often travels to Mexico City where he is frequently invited to conduct the OFUNAM.