4th Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians

Laureate of the 2017 Israel Prize, Arie Vardi is one of Israel’s internationally acclaimed musicians. Born in Israel, he gave his first recital in Tel Aviv at the age of 15. He studied at the Tel Aviv Rubin Academy of Music with Ilona Vincze, and at the same time completed a law degree at Tel Aviv University. Later he studied piano, composition and conducting with Paul Baumgartner, Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Nadia Boulanger. In 1960, he won the Chopin Competition in Israel and made his first appearance with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. A year later, he won the Enescu Competition in Bucharest. Since then he has appeared with all the Israeli orchestras, in recitals and chamber concerts. He has toured Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Far East and Australia, performing under the baton of conductors such as Paul Paray, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Mazur, David Zinman, Lukas Foss and Gustavo Dudamel, and playing with Yo-Yo Ma, Radu Lupu, Yefim Bronfman, Pnina Salzman, Murray Perahia and András Schiff. In 2004, he was awarded the Minister of Education Award for lifetime achievements. He is sought after as juror at major international competitions and serves as Chairman of the Jury of the Rubinstein Competition. Arie Vardi is professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University and former director of the Tel Aviv University Academy of Music. He is also professor at the Hanover Musik Hochschule and has served as Artist-in-Residence at Juilliard, and as guest professor at Yale and Beijing University. For over 20 years he has been active as a conductor, performing with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, among others, and at major festivals in the USA, Europe and the Far East. In 2017, he took part at the Aspen Festival, performing as pianist and conducting the festival’s orchestra. Arie Vardi presents many television shows, including the Master Class and Intermezzo with Arik series. His RCA records have won international acclaim and prizes. His latest CD is the Mozart’s Triple Piano Concerto with Yefim Bronfman, Radu Lupu and Zubin Mehta.