December 26-29, 2010

Ephraim Laor, piano

Born in Tel Aviv, Mr. Ephraim Laor is currently on the piano and chamber music faculties at the “l'Ecole Nationale de Musique d'Issy-les-Moulineaux” in France, and former piano faculty member at the Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, USA (1980–1990). He performs extensively in Europe, North America, Brazil, and Israel, where he also recorded for the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.
Mr. Laor holds a B.Mus. Degree with distinction from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where he studied piano with Benjamin Oren, Yahli Wagman, and Sonia Valin. He received his M. Mus. Degree with honors from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA, where he studied piano with Leon Fleisher on a special scholarship from the Israel National Council for the Culture and the Arts. His studies over the years were supported by scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation as well as the Academy. Leon Fleisher has had a deep impact on his musical thinking and artistic personality. Mr. Laor was among the very few chosen to play for Maestro Arthur Rubinstein at the Jerusalem Music Center. Ephraim Laor also participated in master classes for such distinguished artists as Gina Bachauer, Murray Perahia, Claude Frank, and Georgy Sebok. Mr. Laor resides in Paris.