Gary Bertini

Gary Bertini (1927-2005)

Born in Bessarabia, then part of Romania, to Bertha, a doctor and biologist, and Kalman-Aaron, a teacher, Zionist activist, poet and Hebrew translator. In 1946, the family immigrated to Israel. Bertini studied at the Israeli Music Academy and continued his studies in Italy, and later in the Paris Conservatory. Upon his graduation in 1955, he returned to Israel and founded the Rinat Choir (which later became the Israeli Chamber Choir, now the Israeli Bertini Chamber Choir). In 1965, he founded the Chamber Ensemble (subsequently the Israeli Chamber Orchestra).
Bertini was also active abroad, as a musical consultant for the Detroit Orchestra (1981-93), Director of WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln (1983-1991), and Artistic Director and Musical Manager of Oper Frankfurt (1987-1991). He was a regular guest conductor in the Scottish Opera and also conducted in Opéra Bastille, In La Scala and in the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky Ballet) in St. Petersburg. From 1994 to his death, he served as Artistic Director of the New Israeli Opera.
In 1962, when the Martha Graham Dance Company visited Israel, the Chamber Ensemble under Bertini’s conduction accompanied the premier of her dance Legend of Judith. In 1964, in Batsheva’s premiere performance, he conducted the Israel Broadcast Authority Orchestra which accompanied the performance live. Bertini stayed on as the company’s musical consultant until 1975.
Apart for the Israel Prize, Bertini won the Italian Music Critics Union Award twice: in 1995 as Conductor of the Year and in 1998 as Best Operatic Conductor. In 2000 he won the Prime Minister Award for Composers and donated the prize money to finance further education for young Israeli composers.

Gary Bertini died on March 17, 2005, at age 78.