Maureen Nehedar is a vocal artist, composer and paytanit (singer of Jewish liturgical poems), a poetess and researcher of Jewish musical traditions in general and of the Judaeo-Persian tradition in particular. She is a pioneer of the world music scene in Israel and a world pioneer in the renewal of Jewish music. She has revived the Judaeo-Persian poetical and liturgical tradition, saving them from oblivion.
Maureen was born in Isfahan, Iran and immigrated to Israel as a baby with her family following the Islamic revolution and Khomeini’s rise to power. In her youth she joined the Ankor Children’s Choir (from age 10-18) where she appeared throughout the world in children’s and youth choir competitions. She was already recognized as a Wunderkind and noted for her impressive vocal abilities. She studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, completing her high school education there, and went on to complete two degrees at the Academy, in voice and composition, musical education and choir conducting as well as a teaching certificate.
Despite her training as a performing vocalist of European classics, at age 17 Nehedar joined the Isfahan Ensemble, performing Persian classical and folk music. Some years later Nehedar established her own ensemble and in addition to performing, in 2000 Maureen began conducting independent research, at her own expense, into the piyyut tradition of Iranian Jewry, thus saving numerous piyyutim from oblivion.
Nehedar is the only paytanit in the world performing traditional Judaeo-Persian songs and piyyutim. She has established the goal of preserving this rapidly disappearing tradition, composing her own melodies based upon the ancient Persian dastgah, the standard musical system in Persian art music, to piyyutim and other texts from Jewish sources. These melodies form part of her performances, together with Persian folk piyyutim in new arrangements adapted to modern ears, giving contemporary audiences the opportunity to appreciate their beauty.
Maureen has also set to music the works of Hebrew poets including Yehuda Amichai, Uri Zvi Greenberg, Amir Gilboa, Yehuda Halevy, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Haviva Pedaya, Leah Goldberg, Dahlia Ravikovitch, Zelda, Haim Gouri and others.
Maureen has performed at numerous festivals: The Israel Festival, The Piano Festival, The Mediterranea Festival, The Oud Festival, The Metula Poets’ Festival, The Piyyut Festival, and The Sounds of Music in the Desert Festival, to name but a few, as well as at Zappa’s halls and in sold-out performances throughout the year.
Nehedar has collaborated with numerous Israel artists, including Etti Ankri, Ehud Banai, Berry Sakharof, Rona Keynan, Shaanan Street, Daniela Spektor, Din Din Aviv, Yael Dekelbaum and Shlomo Bar. For the past 15 years Nehedar has performed in Israel and abroad with her ensemble, has appeared as guest performer with other ensembles, and with orchestras at world music, western classical music and contemporary music festivals. On several occasions she has performed with the Israel Philharmonic, the Raanana Symphonette and the Israel Symphony Orchestra of Beersheva.
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