Vocalist

Bracha Kol Mezzo Soprano

Bracha Kol has been praised for her remarkable musicianship, unique timbre of voice and for her brilliant acting. She regularly performs Opera, Lied and Oratorio and her concert repertoire ranges from early music to contemporary works. Born in Israel, Bracha began her musical career as a child prodigy playing the recorder, performing with the Israel Philharmonic conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta at the age of 13, traveling to Holland to study with Marion Verbruggen at the Utrecht Conservatory, where she obtained her Artist Degree, with honors, at the age of 17.

Aside from the celebrated Maestro, she has collaborated with other eminent conductors such as Philippe Entremont, Peter Schreier, Harry Bicket, David Stern, Asher Fisch, Mendi Rodan, Dan Ettinger, Saulius Sondeckis, Alberto Zedda, Christoph Spering, Leon Botstein, Paul Nadler, Gabor Hollerung, Herman Max, Jiri Kout, Nicolas Kraemer, Nir Kabaretti, Stanley Sperber, Gil Shohat, David Sebba, Yaron Traub, and with stage directors such as Carlos Saura, David Alden, Jakob Peters-Messer, Emilio Sagi, Jean Claude Auvray, and Omri Nitzan.

Outside of her country, where she performs regularly with leading orchestras, she has recently appeared with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome, the Greek Chamber Orchestra, and with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra. In January 2006, two different Israeli TV channels dedicated programs to her special life story.

Bracha is often invited to perform at the Israeli Opera. Between her roles there: "Cenerentola" in "La Cenerentola"(Rossini) Sesto in "Guilio Cesare" (Handel), Olga in “Yevgeni Onegin”, (Tchaikovsky), Varvara in “Katya Kabanova” (Janacek), Amore in “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” (Monteverdi), Mrs. Sedley in “Peter Grimes” (Britten), and Moritz, in the world premiere of the opera “Max&Moritz” (Gil Shohat).

With the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra led by Zubin Mehta she sang Flora in "La Traviata" (Verdi), and "The Page" in "Salome" (Strauss).

Her 2007-2008 engagements included a debut at the Florence Theatre, Italy in the role of Mercedes in "Carmen", conducted by Maestro Mehta, a concert tour to Russia with the Israel Chamber Orchestra singing the Pergolesi "Stabat Mater", a live broadcast concert of Shostakovich "From Jewish Folk Poetry" op.79 with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and a Brahms Lieder recital with Maestro Dan Ettinger (piano). Her- upcoming engagement is the role of the Fox in "Cunning little vixen" (Janacek) at the Israeli opera, conducted by Maestro Jonathan Webb.

Bracha Kol's latest projects were performed to stunning audiences and critical acclaim, and included an Israeli premiere of "Requiem Ebraico" (Zeisl) With the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta.

With the Israel Chamber Orchestra, she sang Bach’s Solo Cantatas no. 35, 53 and 170' "Il Tramonto" (Respighi), and "El Amor Brujo" (De Falla) With the Israel Sinfonietta, she performed "Les Nuits d'ete" (Berlioz) and with the Israel Symphonet she was heard in "Kindertotenlieder" (Mahler).

Bracha recorded jointly with flutist Er'ella Talmi and Maestro Yoav Talmi their latest CD "Talmis play Talmi", which was released on Jan.2006 on Centaur Records, USA.

Bracha holds an artist degree with distinction in singing, from the Tel-Aviv Academy. She is a scholarship recipient of the IVAI institute, as well as the "America Israel Cultural Foundation".