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The American Jewish baritone, Isaac Sonett-Assor, has been singing and playing the piano since childhood in New Rochelle, New York, where the Assor family was devoted to pop music and Broadway show tunes. After his Bar Mitzvah at Temple Beth El, where the hazan was a mentor, he began studying music more seriously. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music & Psycology summa cum laude (2010-2014). As a Columbia University undergrad, he took singing lessons courses in music theory, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music & Psycology summa cum laude (2010-2014). Later, at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, New York, he landed gigs outside the classroom, singing in church choirs and at high holiday services at a Reform Synagogue (Temple Sholom) in Monticello, New York (September 2015-June 2018), in the nearby Catskills - the latter “a life-changing and life-affirming experience.” At Eastman, he obtained his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Literaturere and Certificate in Community Music Teaching, Vocal Performance and Literature (2014-2016).
At Eastman Isaac Assor also volunteered as practice mentor for high school students and as a teaching assistant for an afterschool music program for underprivileged students. Instead, after graduation, he took some time off, freelancing, auditioning, working in advertising, while learning Hebrew and studying Jewish subjects. He came to realize how he could combine his love of music and his Jewish faith by enrolling in Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York (HUC), where he receives Cantorial Ordination and Masters in Sacred Music (2018-2023). At HUC, he is a member of the Tisch/Star Fellowship Program, an organization of emerging Jewish leaders led by Rabbi Larry Hoffman. He served as student cantor at Aspen Jewish Congregation, working under the supervision of Rabbi Emily Segal. He also completed a chaplaincy internship at Terence Cardinal Cooke Healthcare Center. During his first year of cantorial studies in Jerusalem, he served as the cantorial intern at Ohel Avraham Synagogue in Haifa (since September 2018) and received HUC’s Rabbi Jason Huebsch Prize for Excellence in Community Service. Upon returning to the USA, he spent the summer serving as the Vocal Arts Mentor at the Union for Reform Judaism’s 6 Points Creative Arts Academy. Then he served as student cantor at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale (since September 2019).
Teddy Klaus, Temple Micah’s former music director, who knows Isaac Assor some of the Reform movement’s summer camps, calls him “a rising star in the cantorate.” At the age of 30, he brings a blend of classical training, Jewish learning, teaching, and singing sacred music from many traditions. With his rich lyric baritone, he has sung at church choirs as well as synagogues, and at several summer music festivals. His repertory includes musical theater, opera, oratorios, and art songs in French, Italian, and German. It seems safe to say that Isaac will be the first soloist at Temple Micah who has sung the title role in W.A. Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, as well as bass soloist in J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor BWV 232, and Bruckner’s Mass in F Minor.
Isaac Assor’s wife, Caroline Sonett-Assor, whom he met at Columbia and studied with at Eastman, is associate director of Mannes Prep, the pre-K through high school training program at Mannes School of Music in New York. She plays and teaches the flute, and one can hope that she will help make music at Temple Micah while he’s here.
Isaac Assor is on track to be ordained as a cantor next year. At HUC, Isaac absorbed the most fundamental part of cantorial singing, which will be well appreciated at Temple Micah: “I learned to put text above all else - to take the words of the text - whether the Bible or any other text - and treat the words as the poetry they all are. He currently resides in New York City with his wife Caroline. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar, reading, cooking, running, and rooting for the Yankees. |
