Rafael Skorka
Rafael Skorka
Native Israeli pianist Rafael Skorka was born in September 1988. He began his piano studies at the age of 8 at the Karmiel Music Conservatory with Mrs. Svetlana Pachter. Skorka has completed his military service in the year of 2009 as an Outstanding Musician. He currently holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where he studied with Dr. Asaf Zohar, and has completed his Master of Music degree at the studio of Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). Nowadays, Skorka continues his studies with Mr. Babayan at CIM for his Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
Skorka has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras in Israel, including the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, the Tel-Aviv Soloists Ensemble, the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva and the Ashdod Symphony Orchestra. He also took part in several prestigious music festivals, including the Steans Music Institute Program for Piano and Strings at the Ravinia Festival (2009, 2011) and the Verbier Festival Academy in Switzerland (2012).
Skorka has won a number of competitions in Israel, including the “Piano Forever” Competition in Ashdod (first prize, 2009), the Voice of Music Young Artists Competition (second prize, 2008), the Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes Concerto Competition (second prize, 2008) and the Sharon Tavor Concerto Competition in Jerusalem (first prize, 2008). Between the years 2003-2014, he has been granted several scholarships by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.