Photos by Chaim Perl

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Israel Edelson started his music studies at the age of 5. At 15 he immigrated to Israel.

After graduating the Rubin Music Academy, having studied conducting and composition,
he went on to Europe to continue his training as a conductor under such figures as Sergiu
Celibidache and Franco Ferrara.

At the Tanglewood summer school, USA, Leonard Bernstein selected him as his student,
after which he was invited by the Maestro to serve as his assistant in concerts all over the world.
He took first prize at the BBC-Rupert International Young Conductors’ Competition in London, following which he was invited to conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, and other orchestras in Great Britain and Europe. He conducts all major Israeli orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic, the Jerusalem and in recent years has been involved in Jewish music, both as an arranger and composer.