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Ofra Harnoy

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Ofra Harnoy
Born (1965-01-31) January 31, 1965 (age 59)
Hadera, Israel
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresClassical (mostly)
OccupationMusician
InstrumentCello
Years active1975–present

Ofra Harnoy CM (Hebrew: עופרה הרנוי; born January 31, 1965) is an Israeli-Canadian cellist.[1] She is a Member of the Order of Canada. By joining the international artists roster of RCA Victor Red Seal, Harnoy became the first Canadian classical instrumental soloist since Glenn Gould to gain an exclusive worldwide contract with a major record label. She is a five-time Juno Award winner.

Life

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Harnoy was born in Hadera, Israel. She moved with her family to Toronto in 1971. When she was six, she began cello lessons with her father, Jacob Harnoy. Her teachers included Vladimir Orloff, William Pleeth, Pierre Fournier, Jacqueline du Pré, and Mstislav Rostropovich.

Harnoy made her professional debut as a soloist with an orchestra at age 10. Her solo-orchestral and recital debuts at Carnegie Hall in 1982 brought her public and critical acclaim.

Harnoy performed and recorded the world premiere of the Offenbach cello concerto in 1985 and the North American premiere of the Bliss cello concerto in 1984. She also made the world premiere recordings of several Vivaldi concertos. In 1987, she joined the roster of RCA Victor Red Seal and recorded several best selling albums.

Harnoy has played in many genres of music. She has played with artists such as Plácido Domingo, Sting, Igor Oistrakh, Loreena McKennitt, and Jesse Cook.

In 2019, Harnoy released her latest album, Back to Bach, on the Canadian classical label Analekta.

She is married to the trumpeter, producer, and composer Mike Herriott.

Awards

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  • (-1982) Winner of a number of major Canadian competitions
  • 1982 Concert Artists Guild award in New York
  • 1983 Young Musician of the Year by Musical America Magazine
  • 1986 Juno for Best Classical Album (Schubert Quintet in C)
  • 1988 Grand Prix du Disque
  • 1988 Juno for Best Classical Album (Schubert Arpeggione Sonata)
  • 1990 Juno for Instrumental Artist of the Year
  • 1992 Juno for Instrumental Artist of the Year
  • 1993 Juno for Instrumental Artist of the Year
  • Several “Best of the Year” and “Critic’s Choice” awards for her recordings from Gramophone magazine, High Fidelity magazine and Ovation magazine.
  • In 1995 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada

Discography

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  • Elgar & Lalo Concertos (2023)
  1. Elgar: Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, 1996 recording with George Pehlivanian conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra
  2. Lalo: Cello Concerto in D Minor, reissue of 1996 recording
  • Portrait (2023), Ofra Harnoy, Mike Herriott, & H&H Studio Orchestra
Compositions by G. Gershwin, Gaetano Donizetti, Leonard Bernstein, César Franck, Léo Delibes, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, & Georges Bizet
  • Back to Bach (2019)
  • Vivaldi: Complete Cello Concertos (2005)
  1. Disc 1 with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra with Paul Robinson, conductor (also issued separately 2009 as Vivaldi: Cello Concertos, vol. 1)
    1. Concerto for Cello in D minor, RV 405
    2. Concerto for Cello in C minor, RV 401
    3. Concerto for Cello in B-flat, RV 423
    4. Concerto for Cello in C, RV 399
    5. Concerto for Cello and Bassoon in E minor, RV 409, with James McKay, bassoon
    6. Concerto Movement for Cello in D minor, RV 538
  2. Disc 2 with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra with Paul Robinson, conductor (also issued separately 2010 as Vivaldi: Cello Concertos, vol. 2)
    1. Concerto for Cello in D, RV 403
    2. Concerto for Cello in B minor, RV 424
    3. Concerto for Cello in A minor, RV 422
    4. Concerto for Cello in C minor, RV 402
    5. Concerto for Cello in F, RV 412
    6. Concerto for Cello in G, RV 414
    7. Concerto for Cello in D minor, RV 406
  3. Disc 3 with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra with Paul Robinson, conductor (also issued separately 2009 as Vivaldi: Cello Concertos, vol. 3)
    1. Concerto for Cello in F, RV 411
    2. Concerto for Cello in D, RV 404
    3. Concerto for Cello in A minor, RV 420
    4. Concerto for Cello in D minor, RV 407
    5. Concerto for Cello in G minor, RV 417
    6. Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in F, "Il Proteo o sia Il mondo al rovescio," RV 544, with Igor Oistrakh, violin
  4. Disc 4 with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra with Richard Stamp (RV 418, RV 408, RV 416, RV 419, and RV 413) or Paul Robinson (RV 547), conductor (also issued separately 1997 as Vivaldi: Cello Concertos, vol. 4)
    1. Concerto for Cello in A minor, RV 418
    2. Concerto for Cello in E-flat, RV 408
    3. Concerto for Cello in G minor, RV 416
    4. Concerto for Cello in A minor, RV 419 (world premiere recording)
    5. Concerto for Cello in G, RV 413
    6. Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in B-flat, RV 547, with Igor Oistrakh, violin
  • Offenbach: Concerto Militaire, and Andante; Lalo: Cello Concerto in D minor (1996)
  • Imagine (1996)[2][3]
  • Trilogy – cello concertos by I Solisti Veneti, Claudio Scimone and Ofra Harnoy (1993)
  • Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations, Music for Cello & Orchestra (1992)
  • Bloch: Schelomo and Bruch: Kol Nidrei, Canzone, Adagio on Celtic Themes & Ave Maria recording with Sir Charles Mackerras & London Philharmonic Orchestra (1991)
  • Cello Recital (1980) (Masters Of The Bow)

References

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  1. ^ "ICS Featured Artist: Conversation with Ofra Harnoy". www.cello.org. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  2. ^ Billboard – 13 Apr 1996 – Page 79 Ofra Harnoy Imagine Producer: Jacob Harnoy RCA Victor 68376 Recorded live in the mid-'80s and now augmented with a rendition of "Free As A Bird," the selections that make up "Imagine" are cellist Ofra Harnoy's instrumental tribute to the music of the Beatles.
  3. ^ Business Review Weekly: BRW 1996 "Israel-born Canadian Ofra Harnoy is a cello virtuoso who has crossed over with her Beatles tribute Imagine (RCA–Victor). The new Free as a Bird is lovely, ..."
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