Yehuda currently serves and inspires daily as the Rimon President and Director of the Songwriting & Music Production department. A virtuoso on guitar, Yehuda is considered one of Israel’s Rock icons. Since graduating from the esteemed Berklee College of Music in 1980, he was active as a member of Israeli Rock groups Tamuz and Doda. He has collaborated with Israeli legends including Meir Ariel, Shlomo Artzi, and David Broza as a musical producer, artistic advisor, performer, and arranger. In 2007, Yehuda released his first solo album, Dear Mr. Grossbard alongside Harry Lipschitz and Eytan Gidron. He is among the founders of Beit Hamouzot – a high school in Jaffa for at-risk teens that focuses on art and therapy.
GURI AGMON
One of the Rimon founding five, Guri Agmon is an accomplished saxophonist and clarinetist, composer, arranger and producer. Guri has studied with Phil Woods and Dave Liebman. He holds a Master’s degree in composition. He composed original music for the theater. His arrangements were commissioned and recorded by most of the orchestras in Israel and by many popular singers. He is the conductor and musical director of the Holon Big Band. He has performed as saxophone soloist with the Israel Camerata and as a sax player with all the orchestras in the country. He is active as a composer, arranger and sax player in many jazz combos. He is one of the founders of the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and has acted as its academic director. He is a senior lecturer at Rimon, as well as a member of the management and the academic committee.
GIL DOR
Gil studied classical guitar, served in the IDF as a musician in the Central Command Entertainment Unit. He continued his studies at Berklee in Boston and on classical theory and composition at Queens College in New York. Upon returning to Israel, Gil established himself as a guitarist as well as an arranger/composer performing live jazz and rock and recording with leading artists in Israel. He taught at Jerusalem Academy of Music before co-founding Rimon. In his capacity as academic director, Gil developed and wrote many core curricula as well as advanced courses. He has performed in jazz festivals in Israel and Europe leading his own ensembles and together with Al DiMeola. Since 1990, he has been collaborating with Rimon alumnus singer songwriter Achinoam Nini aka Noa as music/artistic director, co-writer, arranger, producer and guitarist.
AMIKAM KIMELMAN
Amikam Kimelman brings years of playing experience along with substantial academic credentials. Along with being a saxophonist, Amikam is also an arranger and producer. Amikam is a graduate of The Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University and Berklee in Boston Currently, he is the music director of The Tel Aviv Jazz Orchestra, and leads The Human Factory quintet as well as Hard Jazz Knights, which has performed in festivals including Grahamstown, South Africa; Almati, Kazakhstan; Baku, Azerbaijan; EU Jazz Express, Hungary; and Essen, West Germany to name a few.
Amikam performed with Lew Soloff, Joanne Brackeen, Jeff Berlin, Lew Marini, Sheila Jordan, Jean Loup Longnon, Inaki Sandoval, Mike del Ferro, Franck Amsallem, and the New York Voices. He has arranged and composed for The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra as well as top Israeli jazz, pop, and rock stars including Rami Kleinstein, Shalom Hanoch, Nurit Galron, Alon Olearchik, Yehoram Gaon, Marina Maximilian Blumin, and Gidi Gov. Amikam is also an arranger for TV and major musical events in Israel, and musical director of the Israeli jazz label JAZZ972. He teaches arranging, harmony, improvisation, and saxophone.
HARRY LIPSCHITZ
Harry Lipschitz, a member of the founding team, has served as Human Resources and Financial Director since the founding of Rimon School in 1985 until 2014. He remains one of its visionaries, serving as a board member, and continues to lead Rimon to academic and administrative success. He also serves as a principal and as a board member of several companies in Israel. Harry studied Finance in Midreshet Rupin College and Psychology in Monash University, in Australia. In the 1980s, he was Treasurer and Head of Human Resources at Kibbutz Kfar-Hanassi. Creatively, song writing is at the core of Harry’s world, and he’s served as creative co-producer and artistic advisor on many projects, including founder and friend Yehuda Eder’s first album, Dear Mr. Grossbard in 2007. His many other projects include works with the Hed-Artzi record company, Gali Atari, Ariel Harowiatz, Ronit Shahar, Alon Eder, and more.
ILAN MOCHIACH
Ilan is a graduate from Mannes College of Music and New York University. His teaching credentials include harmony, composition and orchestration at the Rubin Academy of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He is a composer, arranger and orchestrator of music for films, television and stage productions. He has served as a music director for Deedee Bridgewater, Esther Ofarim, Noa, Yehudith Ravitz, Arik Einstein, Shalom Hanoch, Yossi Banai, Mati Caspi and leads his own ethnic music ensembles. Ilan held spots as a guest conductor at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra, New York; Fundazione Arturo Toscanini, Parma, Italy; Jazz-Symphony, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Maggio Musicale, Firenze, Italy.
ORLEE SELA![orleesela[1]](http://www.rimonschool.co.il/en/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/orleesela1.jpg)
Orlee served as Managing Director 1989-2001 and for one year as Chairman of the Board. Her role is now focused on all partnerships, foundation work, institutional advancement and community relations. Orlee graduated from Tel Aviv University in the Faculty of Arts as a major in Stage and Theatre Design. She provided set design for a production of Batsheva Dance Company’s ensemble for young people and served as Costume Designer for the hit Israeli television program Krovim, Krovim (Close, Close) which ran for many years in syndication. Orlee has been a profound influence in creating the environment which encompasses the needs of every modern-day music student. From the beginning, she has been dedicated to building the musical foundation of Rimon, ensuring a quality education based on unique values that pertain to the dynamic Israeli culture of innovation and creativity. Today, she maintains this responsibility, as Rimon continues to flourish and gain international recognition.
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