Yuval AMIHAI, jazz guitarist
http://www.yuvalamihai.com/#!music/c45r
Yuval Amihai was born in Beer Sheva, Israel in 1981. He began studying the piano at the age of eight, and five years later switched to electric guitar. He soon discovered he had a great interest for improvisation and jazz, and during his high school years he began to travel regularly to Tel Aviv to study with Israel’s leading musicians, and to participate in workshops and master classes. At the age of 16 he began writing music and playing with local bands, which led him to meet musicians from all over the country with whom he began performing professionally.
At 19, Yuval wrote music for his hometown’s string quartet and for the renowned Oud and Violin player Yair Dalal. The music was selected by one of Israel’s leading composers and music educators Michael Wolpe, and was performed in concert halls across Israel. Soon afterwards he started studying at The Jerusalem Academy of Music and the Rimon Jazz School in Tel Aviv and participated in various musical projects.
In 2005 Yuval moved to Paris. He quickly made his way into the local jazz scene and started playing in Paris clubs and venues. The following year he studied at the Jazz department of the Paris Region Conservatory, graduating two years later. Since 2008 Yuval leads his quintet, the Yuval Amihai Ensemble, with whom he performs music which is strongly influenced by his childhood in Israel.

The ensemble has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize and the 1st composition prize at the "La Défense" National Jazz Competition in 2009, (in which the band’s saxophone player Damien Fleau also won the 3rd soloist prize), The 1st prize in the Saint-Germain Jazz festival Contest in Paris (2008), and the 3rd prize in the international jazz competition of Hoeilaart, Belgium.

Damien Fleau soprano sax Etienne Bouyer tenor & soprano sax Oliver Degabriele double bass Gautier Garrigue drums Yuval Amihai guitar & composition

The band has performed in opening act concerts for renowned artists as Avishai Cohen, Bojan Z, Rabia Abu-Khalil and Kyle Eastwood, and played in numerous Jazz festivals, concert halls and jazz clubs in France and Europe, including Nancy Jazz Pulsations, La Défense Jazz Festival, Sunset/Sunside Jazz Club (Paris), Jazz à Staint-Gérmain-des-Près Festival (Paris), Guitar Art Café (Belgrade, Serbie), Budo Tomovic Theater (Podgorica, Monténégro), National theaters of Amiens, Sceaux & Valencienne.
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