8 November 2019
Yitzhak Yedid wins the 2020 Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music
Image: Yitzhak Yedid AMC's Associate artist, the Brisbane-based composer and pianist Yitzhak Yedid has been announced as winner of the 2020 Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music - a substantial award given out biennially by the Canadian Azrieli Foundation. The Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music is valued at $200,000 Canadian dollars (AUD $220K).
The jury's decision to award Yedid's work was 'clear and unanimous'. Kiddushim Ve' Killulim (Blessings and Curses) is written for thirteen players and challenges musical conventions by synthesising ancient Jewish musical sources with contemporary Western art music. It is deeply influenced by Sephardi-Mizrahi Jewish prayers and Piyyutim from the Middle East, drawing on their unique textures and microtonalities.
In selecting Yitzhak Yedid's work for the 2020 Prize, the Jury described his music as 'brilliant, creative, dramatic, slyly humorous and unquestionably Jewish'.
In addition to the $50K CAD monetary prize, the Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music includes a performance of the winning work by the renowned Canadian chamber orchestra Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, conducted by Lorraine Vaillancourt, in October 2020; two subsequent international performances; and a recording.
Yedid's prize was announced together with the Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music (which went to Yotam Haber, from the US,) and the Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music (to Montreal-based Keiko Devaux).
> Yitzhak Yedid - AMC profile
> Announcement on the Azrieli Foundation website (7 November 2019)
© Australian Music Centre (2019) — Permission must be obtained from the AMC if you wish to reproduce this article either online or in print.
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