Nurit Hirsh
Encyclopedia
Nurit Hirsh is an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i composer, arranger and conductor who has written over a thousand Hebrew
Music of Israel
The music of Israel is a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical culture. For more than 100 years, musicians have sought original stylistic elements that would define the emerging national spirit...

 songs.

Biography

Nurit Hirsh studied at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, majoring in piano. She also studied composition with Mordecai Seter, orchestration with Noam Sheriff
Noam Sheriff
Noam Sheriff is an Israeli composer, conductor and arranger. Sheriff is one of Israel’s most versatile and world renowned musicians. Currently, he is the music director of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra.- Early life :...

 and conducting with Laslo Rott. She studied clarinet with Yaacov Barnea of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...

. Hirsh did her IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

 military service with the entertainment troupe of the armored corps. She began composing upon completion of her service, debuting with Perach Halilach, composed in 1965 to lyrics by Uri Asaf and which was made famous by singer Chava Alberstein
Chava Alberstein
Chava Alberstein is an Israeli singer, lyricist, composer, and musical arranger.-Biography:Chava Alberstein, born in Szczecin, Poland, moved to Israel with her family in 1950. She grew up in Kiryat Haim....

.

Music career

Hirsh represented the State of Israel in several international song festivals, and has won prizes in Greece, Brazil, Chile, Japan , Portugal, Malta, Ireland and Yugoslavia. In 1973, her song Ey Sham
Ey Sham
"Ey Sham" was the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, performed in Hebrew by Ilanit....

,
performed by Ilanit
Ilanit
Ilanit is a female Israeli singer who represented her country twice in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1953 the family moved to Brazil and returned to Israel in 1960....

, placed fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1973
The Eurovision Song Contest 1973 was the eighteenth Eurovision Song Contest and was held in Luxembourg. The language rule forcing countries to enter songs sung in any of their national languages was dropped, so performers from some countries sang in English....

 in Luxembourg. She orchestrated the song and conducted the orchestra. In the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1978
The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd of its kind, and was held on 22 April 1978 in Paris. With Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone as the presenters - the first time more than one presenter hosted the contest - the contest was won by Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta who represented Israel, with their...

, again she conducted the orchestra for the Israeli entry A-Ba-Ni-Bi
A-Ba-Ni-Bi
"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed for Israel by Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta....

, which won first prize. Hirsh wrote the film scores for fourteen Israeli movies, among them Lupo!
Lupo!
Lupo! is a 1970 film directed by Menahem Golan. The script was co-written by Golan and Ken Globus.-Synopsis:His home slated to be torn down, his business in serious financial trouble and his only daughter poised to leave the nest with her wealthy fiancé, small-time Tel Aviv second hand store owner...

, Katz and Karasso, Behind Walls and the Ephraim Kishon
Ephraim Kishon
' was an Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director. He is one of the most widely-read contemporary satirists in the world.- Early life and World War II :...

's movie, The Policeman
The Policeman
The Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature film, written and directed by satirist Ephraim Kishon. Its Hebrew title is HaShoter Azoulay . The title character is played by Shaike Ophir The Policeman is the international release title of a 1971 Israeli feature film,...

, which was nominated for best foreign picture at the 1972 Academy Awards. She conducted the musical Sallah Shabati
Sallah Shabati
Sallah Shabati is a 1964 Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration and resettlement. This social satire placed the director Ephraim Kishon and producer Menahem Golan among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success...

 during its three-year run at Israel's national theater Habima.

In February 2000, she was the guest of honor at a special tribute concert at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, where she played piano with the Israel Philharmonic. She has performed together with her daughter, Ruth Rosenfeld, an opera singer, at venues around the world.

She regularly collaborated with Ehud Manor
Ehud Manor
Ehud Manor was an Israeli songwriter, translator, and radio and TV personality.-Career:Manor began working for Israel radio in the 1960s, as a musical editor...

 and set many of his songs to music, among them Habatim Shenigmeru Leyad Hayam, Bashanah Habaah, Lalechet Shevi Acharayich and tens of other hits, the majority of which were performed by Ilanit, Ofra Fuchs and Rivka Zohar
Rivka Zohar
Rivka Zohar is a prominent Israeli singer.- Biography :Rivka Zohar was born and raised in Akko, Israel. Her father, Aaron Zinati, was a fire chief. Zohar studied in Akko, and in the agricultural school in Hahalal...

. With Yoram Taharlev, Hirsch produced hits such as Malach Missulam Yaakov (Nachal troupe), Bapardes Leyad Hashoket (Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...

), Ata Li Eretz (Yardena Arazi
Yardena Arazi
Yardena Arazi is an Israeli singer and entertainer.-Biography:Yardena Arazi was born on Kibbutz Kabri and grew up in Haifa. Arazi is the daughter of Jewish immigrants from France and Germany. She joined the Beit Rothschild group at 16 and became its lead vocalist. She did her military service in...

) and Chashmal Bekapot Yadecha (Ruthie Navon).

Hirsh is also well known in the Jewish world for Ose Shalom Bimromav, which was composed for the first Hasidic Song Festival, held in 1969. Her melody has become part of the liturgy in synagogues and Jewish communities worldwide.

Awards

Hirsh won the 2001 ACUM (Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers of Music in Israel) life achievement award for songwriting; the 2006 lifetime achievement award from Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...

; and the 2006 Woman of the Year award from Lions Club Israel.
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