Shlomo Gronich

Israeli composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, percussionist and choir conductor, born January 20, 1949 in Hadera. His 1971 solo debut, "Why Didn't You Tell Me?", is widely considered to be Israel's first progressive rock album. It was followed by a collaboration with Matti Caspi and then an album with the group קצת אחרת (Hebrew for "A Little Different"), which solidified his reputation as a leading voice in Israel's small progressive rock scene. Since then he is known for blending diverse musical styles in unique ways, often including rhythm and blues, jazz, Mizrahi, Klezmer, Zemer Ivri (Israeli folk) and Middle Eastern, particularly Arabic music. He is known for collaborations with Palestinian and Israeli-Arab artists, using music as a bridge towards peace. Gronich is also a classical composer and his works have been performed and recorded worldwide, most famously by the Berlin Philharmonic. He has also written scores for more than 20 theatrical productions. Gronich is married to Michal Adler.