David Shemer (Harpsichord, Conductor)

Born: December 11, 1952 - Riga, Latvia

The Israeli harpsichordist, conductor and teacher, David Shemer, was born in Riga, Latvia and immigrated to Israel at an early age. After completing his studies at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem, he specialized in baroque performance practice in London, where he studied with some of the most illustrious teachers, such Christopher Kite, Jill Severs, Trevor Pinnock and Philip Pickett. Shemer is a Doctor of Musical Arts, a degree conferred on him by the University of New York at Stony Brook.

David Shemer is a leading figure of the Israeli early music scene. He is the founder, musical director and conductor of the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra. He appears frequently as solo harpsichord player and as member of several chamber-music groups, such as The Jerusalem Consort, which he founded in 1984, C.P.E. Bach Ensemble (together with German musicians) and Musica-Viva (in which Israeli and Danish performers participate). He performs and records widely in Israel, Europe (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia), and in the USA, as a soloist, chamber musician and conductor.

David Shemer teaches harpsichord and early music at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and has done so since 1982; he also taught at the Jerusalem Early Music Workshop during all the 20 years of its existence. In addition, he has given numerous master-classes in Israel, as well as in England, Germany, USA (the universities of Stanford, Sacramento, and in Boston) and in Riga (Latvia) - his birth town.

Source: Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (November 2011)

Dadid Shemer: Short Biography | Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

David Shemer, Conductor (JBO)
David Shemer on Facebook

Interview with conductor David Shemer (Israel Culture, Ynetnews)
David Shemer - Guests | The Salon (U-Sophia)