Biography

The pianist Itamar Carmeli began his artistic career as a child performer on the theater stages of Tel Aviv, while simultaneously developing his musical voice as a pianist in both the classical repertoire and the vibrant jazz scene of the city. These early experiences shaped his distinctive artistic path, driven by insatiable curiosity and creativity. Today, he lives in Berlin and has established himself as a versatile soloist, chamber musician, and composer—renowned for his unique artistic imagination and boundless musicality.
He made his solo debut at the age of 15 with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland. Since then, he has performed in major concert halls across Europe and North America—including the Pierre Boulez Saal, the Mendelssohn House Leipzig, and the Jerusalem Music Centre—as well as at prestigious festivals such as the Festival Musikdorf Ernen, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Academy, the Arte Amanti Festival (Belgium), the Radio Classique Festival (France), the Intonations Festival (Berlin), “Into the Open” (Tbilisi), the Mannes Sounds Festival (New York), the Red Sea Jazz Festival, and the Cambridge Jazz Festival (USA). In the 2025/26 season, he will make his recital debuts at the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Ehrbar Saal in Vienna, and the Beethoven House Bonn.
Itamar Carmeli received his training at leading institutions with distinguished mentors. He is currently studying at the Kronberg Academy under Sir András Schiff, who selected him for the “Building Bridges” program for the 2025/26 season. In addition, he continues to receive artistic guidance from Maestro Daniel Barenboim, who supports his development as both a soloist and chamber musician. Previously, he studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance with Prof. Daria Monastyrski, at the Mannes School of Music in New York with Prof. Pavlina Dokovska, and at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree under Sir András Schiff and Schaghajegh Nosrati.
Itamar Carmeli has performed with renowned artists such as Clara-Jumi Kang, Emmanuel Pahud, Elena Bashkirova, Michael Barenboim, Mihaela Martin, Zvi Carmeli, Eliraz Carmeli, Benjamin Schmid, and Thomas Demenga. He is also a founding member of the Maroush Piano Trio and has appeared with the Pierre Boulez Ensemble as well as with the Staatskapelle Berlin under Sir Simon Rattle and Cristian Macelaru.
Driven by his passion for bringing people together through music, Carmeli founded the chamber music series Momentumin Berlin, where he serves as artistic director; the series takes place regularly at Kühlhaus Berlin.
Since October 2024, Itamar Carmeli has continued his studies at the Kronberg Academy under Sir András Schiff. His studies are supported by the Rheinhuber / König Patronage.
Photo: Eesa-Khoury Oukool