Guy Kark

Biography
Press

Jerusalem born composer, arranger, guitar and oud artist. Reflecting the special texture and colors of Canaan, Guy Kark's music travels constantly between eras, and has been inspired by the unusual local musical diversity, as well as the variety of sounds, songs, and echoes that permeate the Mediterranean atmosphere. Kark has developed, through the years, a unique, personal language of composition and improvisation, creating his own musical landscape. His music explores the territory spanning from Mediaeval and Early Music, Middle Eastern and Sephardic roots, World music and jazz. Along with his ensembles, Kark has performed worldwide (Holland, Belgium, USA, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, Zimbabwe, Turkey, Germany, Uzbekistan, Spain, Portugal, The Czech Republic, Serbia, Canada, Israel etc.). Among his works are compositions for films, theater, dance, art exhibitions, TV and multimedia. Kark's music has been featured on radio, TV and cinema internationally (BBC, N.Y public radio, ABC, IBA etc). His second CD, Canaan, was chosen as one of the best ‘World Music’ CD’s by ‘The Planet’ -Radio National �" Australia and by 'Global Village', KPFK radio-Los Angeles and was nominated for the Just Plain Folks award for the best ethnic album. Composer, founder and artistic director of various cross-cultural music ensembles and projects, he brings together traditions both from east and west, some of which join Jewish and Arab musicians. Among them are The Between Times Ensemble �" one of Israel's leading world music groups (known in Hebrew as 'Yemey Habeintime'), Duo Esperanto and Celtan. He is also a member of the mediaeval music ensemble 'Quynade'. He studied composition and is a graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (in the department of classical Arab music under the guidance of Professor Taisir Elias and Professor Dahlia Cohen). He won a scholarship as a visiting artist at the prestigious Cite Des Arts in Paris, 2008.

Special Performances Ten Vrede Peace Festival/ Belgium, ‘Gamle Logen’ concert hall in Oslo, The Black Diamond in Copenhagen, the Cantigas do Maio Festival in Lisbon, the Eastern Voices Festival in Samarkand, The Skirball in Los Angeles, the Crested Bute Festival in Colorado, CBGB �" N.Y, the Academy of Music in Prague, the Six Days to Live Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, the Metu Festival in Ankara, the Grachtenfestival in Amsterdam, the Festival of Three Cultures in Spain , the 5th Meeting of Mediterranean Cultures in Almeria, the Bibliotheca Joanina in Coimbra, Portugal, Les Automnales de Ballainvilliers guitar festival/France, the Hearing the World festival in the Tel Aviv opera house, the Israel Festival in Jerusalem, the Abu Gosh vocal music festival, the Islamic Museum and the Oud Festival in Jerusalem, The Rennaisance festival in Yehiam fort, a series of concerts in Israel with the Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra and the Mediaeval music ensemble Quynade. One of Kark's European tours included a special performance for the Queen of Holland to which he was invited with Duo Esperanto to celebrate the 150 year anniversary of the Biblical Museum. During 2005 Kark and Between Times were invited by the Norwegian Prime Minister to hold a special concert together with leading Norwegian musicians. Kark's music has also been performed in Montreal's recorder festival in the 'Ciel d'Orient' program- by the Canadian Ensemble Caprice in collaboration with Quynade Ensemble.