Multi-awarded Israeli pianist in benefit concert

CEBU, Philippines - Everything is set for an evening of inspired piano performances by the multi-awarded international pianist and composer, Matan Porat, in the classical music benefit show dubbed as “One Humanity: The Tie That Binds Cultures Together – A Christmas Tribute”, on December 5, Saturday, 8PM, at the Marcelo B. Fernan Press Center in Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City.

Regarded as a musician of great insight and sensitivity, the Israel-born, Berlin-based Porat is among the strongest creative forces emerging from the young generation of musicians in Europe.

Porat has been praised by the audience and critics alike for his powerful performances, originality and integrity of style and in constant demand for new compositions by leading performers and ensembles.

Among his achievements include being a top prize winner in the 2003 Dublin International Piano Competition. He has also won the Artist of Special Promise prize at the 2003 Honens Competition in Canada and the Legion d’Honneur award in Switzerland. Since 1995, he has been a recipient of the America-Israel Foundation scholarships and the 2007-2008 recipient of the prestigious Wingate grant.

Matan has begun his piano studies with Emmanuel Krasoovsky at the Tel-Aviv Rubin Academy. Later he was artist-in-residence in Belgais, Portugal, studying and assisting Maria Joao Pires, and obtained his master’s degree from Julliard School with Joseph Kalichstein. He has also worked with Emmanuel Ax, Daniel Barenboim, Dmitri Bashkirov, Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Menahem Pressler, Andras Schiff, Mitsuko Uchida, and Alexis Weissenberg. In the past two years, Porat was working extensively with pianist Murray Perahia in London.

He has appeared as soloist with the Chicago, Jerusalem, Irish National and Israel Chamber symphony orchestras with such conductors as James Conlon, Lawrence Foster and Mendi Rodan.

He has performed in several important venues such as Carneige Hall in New York, Auditorium du Louvre in Paris, Alhambra’s Palacio Carlos V and in the Irish National Concert Hall.

His varied concert program includes Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the 5 Partitas and Ives’s “Concord” Sonata. A passionate contemporary music performer, Matan has premiered works by Gideon Lewensohn, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Jonathan Keren, among others.

His opera, “Animal Farm”, was commissioned by the Tel-Aviv Academy and was performed last season, and his work “KofAdam” based on Kafka’s “A Report to an Academy” for an actor and ensemble is being performed at the Israeli Cameri theatre this season with Itay Tiran.

Now, Porat extends his prowess with this fund raising concert for the Bridging the Gap series, which aims to bridge the gap across and between cultures, and to provide empowerment opportunities for poverty-stricken communities in Southeast Asia. The series promotes One Humanity through building a collective environment of shared aspirations.

Aside from the concert, Porat will also conduct piano workshop and master classes for the underprivileged communities in the Queen City of the South from December 6-15 and on the 14th, he will have a culminating concert at the Virginia S. Chiongbian Mini Theatre in Sacred Heart School-Jesuit Campus in Canduman, Mandaue City.

Omnilogy’s mission is to increase the patronage for the arts and culture in the Queen City of the South. Its primary aim is to promote international understanding and communication between societies through the arts.

This initiative is in cooperation with Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, YMCA Cebu, Rotary Club of Talisay, Cebu Music Learning Center and Peace Philharmonic Orchestra. – Marigold P. Lebumfacil