Whichever piece I conduct
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PRESS QUOTES
“In all these works, YAIR SAMET convinced the audience of his instincts: his feeling for the right tempi, his ability to maintain a bright and enchanting Mozart sound and - particularly with the Prague Symphony - his towering sound in counterpoint with such clear relief to the poetic whisper that also emerged.”
?Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – 10/23/01
“......Sinfonia Varsovia was in extremely good shape this evening under the baton of YAIR SAMET…Toward the end of the program, the Prague Symphony was played with great intensity and invention. The following applause was self-explanatory.”
?Frankfurter Neuer Presse – 10/25/01
“In the sold out Congresshalle, the audience experienced an authentic delivery of Bernstein’s Jeremiah symphony by the Israeli conductor YAIR SAMET. Samet exposed the dramatic power, the energetic sounds and rhythms of this symphony, to its fullest. Brilliantly phrased and shaped as a whole, with aggressive outcries portraying the dismayed context, one could feel the pain and fury. The music nearly hurt physically, getting under the skin; And Samet did not smooth out. Solemnly, he let the walls of Jerusalem tumble down. In the highly concentrated and collaborative orchestra, he found a partner to reflect his musical notion with outstanding precision.”
? Ron – Rheinpfalz – 4/18/02, Karlheinz Dettweiler
“Music Director Grin was regrettably indisposed due to a family emergency, but Assistant Conductor YAIR SAMET proved able and engaging at the podium in the maestro’s head….. In Bruch’s emotionally turbulent concerto, Samet maintained close rapport between the orchestra and PINCHAS ZUCKERMAN, holding tight to his soloist’s elastic phrase shaping without getting wrapped up in it. Samet’s clear communication of the score elicited clean ensemble work from his players, making the utmost of the contrasts between the violin’s rhapsodizing and the orchestra’s primly stated episodes.”
?Metro – 9/11/97, Philip Collins
“The San Jose Symphony Youth Orchestra is among the most accomplished youth orchestras I have heard. The players have an immediate rapport with their conductor, Israeli-born YAIR SAMET, and he has the knack of placing a disciplined yet free rein on their youthful vigour. The playing had a rhythmic focus and subtlety of balance which was a credit to all concerned.”
? The Irish Times – 7/3/97, Martin Adams
“Despite considerable challenges, the ensemble worked industriously under the baton of YAIR SAMET, mustering commendable performances throughout. There were a goodly number of transcendent moments to boot….. In Appalachian Spring, Samet resisted the obvious: bombast. Instead he drew out melody and inner strength, in keeping with the work’s unique chemistry of introspection and grandeur.”
?Metro – 11/30/95, Philip Collins
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Versatile and highly acclaimed conductor Yair Samet enjoys a widespread international career spanning three continents. He is consistently cited for his high level of artistry and exceptional knowledge of the repertoire.
Mr. Samet was appointed first associate conductor of the San Jose Symphony Orchestra in 1994. Additionally, he was nominated Music Director and Conductor of the San Jose Symphony Youth Orchestra, with whom he has toured Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Spain.
Mr. Samet has conducted the famed Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra on tour in Germany, the Saarl..ndisches Staatsorchester in Saarbr..cken, Germany, the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in China, and the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra in Bosnia. In addition, he conducted the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Glinka Capella at Finland’s Tampere International Music Festival. In Israel he conducted the Haifa Symphony, the Rishon Le-Zion Symphony Orchestra, and the Israeli Sinfonietta in Beer Sheva.
He has performed with renowned artists such as Pinchas Zukerman, Vadim Repin, David Shifrin, Han-Na Chang, Hel..ne Grimaud, Lara St. John, Jon Nakamatsu, and Jon Kimura Parker.
In addition to his professional conducting accolades, Mr. Samet also serves on the Music Faculty of the University of California Santa Cruz, where he leads the UCSC Symphony Orchestra.
Born in Jerusalem, Yair Samet attended the Rubin Academy High School of Music and Arts where he studied piano and bassoon, and was consequently invited, as the youngest student ever in the history of the institution, to join the composition department of the Academy under the guidance of internationally renowned composer Mark Kopitman. During his high school years, Mr. Samet performed frequently as soloist and chamber musician throughout Israel and for Israeli National Television.
In 1986, he entered Tel Aviv University with a double major in orchestral conducting and musicology.
During his undergraduate studies, Yair Samet was the recipient of three scholarships from the American Israel Cultural Foundation.
In 1988 Samet participated in the International Course for Conductors held in Israel under the direction of Maestro Noam Sheriff. As a finalist, he made his professional debut conducting the Rishon Le-Zion Symphony Orchestra.
Having earned a national reputation as a gifted young conductor and musician, the Young Israel Philharmonic, a wing of the famed Israel Philharmonic, created the position of assistant conductor for him in 1989.
Mr. Samet completed his graduate studies in conducting and composition in the United States at Indiana University where he directed the Indiana University String Orchestra, and gave numerous concerts with each of the University’s five orchestras.
Hello, It's always a pleasure to contact my friends, first thanks for your friendship and hope all is well. if you have time, there are some new videos on my page. Life is beautiful. All the best - Pat.
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