Janna Gandelman

Janna Gandelman was born in Kishinev, Moldova. At the age of five, she began playing the violin, taking lessons with Professor Weiner. From a very young age, she won numerous competitions in the Soviet Union, including the National Violin Competition, the Stoliarsky School Competition, the International Competition of the USSR, and the Auer Competition.

After immigrating to Israel in 1979, she continued her studies with the legendary violin pedagogue Professor Bondarenko, who was an assistant to David Oistrakh. That same year, Janna was accepted into one of the most renowned cultural foundations in the world, the American-Israel Cultural Foundation, which has supported and continues to support prestigious cultural projects. As a member of this foundation, she performed in numerous countries worldwide.

During her studies at the Tel Aviv Music Academy with Professor Kless, Janna won several competitions, including the Clarmont and Shapira competitions in Israel, the Lipizer Competition in Italy, and the Atlanta Competition, among others.

Janna Gandelman has been a member of many esteemed musical ensembles in Israel, including Musica Nova, Caprizma, and 21st Century, and has served as Concertmaster of the Israel Camerata and other ensembles. As a soloist, she has performed under the baton of renowned conductors such as Garry Bertini, Asher Fisch, and Mendi Rodan. Additionally, she has held the position of Concertmaster with the Flemish Chamber Orchestra.

A dedicated chamber musician, she has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Gidon Kremer, Isaac Stern, Eliso Virsaladze, and Sol Gabetta, participating in some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Bloomington, Schleswig-Holstein, the Israel Festival, and the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival.

This fall, she will record a violin concerto by Kara Karaev for the Naxos label.

Janna Gandelman has given masterclasses worldwide, including in Russia, Argentina, Brazil, and Norway. She is also involved in a special project in Israel called Polyphony, which fosters collaboration between Arab and Jewish students through music.

Currently, Janna Gandelman is the Concertmaster of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Jerusalem Conservatory HaSadna and the Nazareth Conservatory, a project initiated by Daniel Barenboim. She is also a professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University.

She plays a J.B. Guadagnini violin, generously loaned by the Yehuda Zisapel Foundation.