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

Bracha Kol's latest projects were performed to stunning audience and critical acclaim, and included two projects with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta: Flora in "La Traviata," and an Israeli premiere of "Requiem Ebraico" (Zeisl). She also sang the leading role in Carmen (Bizet) in a concert version. In the previous season 2006/2007, two Israeli TV channels dedicated programs to her special life story.

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

Outside her country where she appears with leading orchestras, she recently has worked with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Rome, the Greek Chamber Orchestra and with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra.

Bracha is regularly invited to perform at the Israeli Opera where she appeared in the role of 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 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 sang Mahler’s "Kindertotenlieder."

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."