Yael Kleinman Hyken

Yael Kleinman Hyken

Yael was born in Israel in 1981. Initially a violinist, she switched to viola under the guidance of Prof. David Chen in the Israel Conservatory in Tel Aviv when she was 16.
At the age of 18 she joined the Israeli Defense Force, serving in the unit of “Outstanding Musicians” for a period of 21 months.
During this time she also played with the Young Israel Philharmonic touring to both Germany and China.
After being released from the army, Yael moved to The Netherlands to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Music at the Academy for Music in Rotterdam, where she studied with Prof. Ron Ephrat, graduating in June 2005. Yael has also studied at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC with both Irene Breslaw and Daniel Avshalomov.
From 2004-2008, Yael was a member of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra under music director James Levine, touring Canada, USA, Europe and Asia with violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov. She has played under the baton of esteemed conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustavo Dudamel and many others.
Yael has performed with ensembles throughout the world including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Camerata Chamber Orchestra (Israel), Continuo Chamber Orchestra in Rotterdam (NL) and Kansas City Symphony.
Yael was a fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach FL, from 2007 until 2010, under music director Michael Tilson Thomas.
She plays regularly with the Florida Grand Opera and Miami City Ballet.
Yael is a Teaching Artist with the Miami Music Project and teaches viola and violin regularly in schools across Miami Dade County.
in September 2014, Yael was appointed Principal Viola of the Amarillo Symphony in Texas.
She is also Principal Viola of the newly founded Nu Deco Ensemble in Miami, FL.
– “It is wonderful to have a foundation such as AICF caring for the Israeli musicians in America so much, helping us stay in touch with each other and giving us so much support.
I am very thankful to the foundation for helping me settle down my first year in the States. Making new contacts, playing different concerts and much more.” (c) Yael Kleinman