Tal First

Tal First

Tal First began his violin studies with teacher Geri Ferber at the age of 6. He continued his studies with Ms. Svetlana Simannovsky at the Thelma-Yellin School of Arts and later on at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, while serving as an “Outstanding Musician” in the IDF. Tal received his B.M degree from The Juilliard School, where he is currently pursuing his M.M degree under the tutelage of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin.
He is a member of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and served as the concertmaster in the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, Juilliard’s AXIOM Orchestra and the Thelma Yellin Symphony Orchestra. Tal appeared as a soloist with the Thelma Yellin Symphony Orchestra, performing and recording the world premiere of Marc Lavry’s piece. He has also been a soloist with the Galilee Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand’s Sinfonia for Hope.
Since 2011, Tal is being supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. He is also a scholarship recipient of the Ronen-Foundation, and won second prize at the “Turgeman” competition in 2011.
He has participated in the Perlman Music Program, Musethica Program, David Goldman Program, Polyphony Seminars and Keshet Eilon Mastercourse, and has taken part in masterclasses with musicians such as Julian Rachlin, Ivry Gitlis, Christian Tetzlaff, Leonidas Kavakos, Miriam Fried, Gwendolyn Masin, Rudolf Koelman, Shmuel Ashkenazy.
Tal plays with a bow from the Juilliard School’s instrument collection, and on a violin made by Paulo Antonie Testore, generously loaned to him by Mr. Yehuda Zisapel.