Yuval Zaliouk
Photos and more information can be found on Yuval's website.
Yuval Zaliouk began his music education at home with his musician parents and at The Haifa, Israel, Academy of Music where he studied piano, trombone and percussion. He graduated with distinction.
After service with the Israeli Army, he graduated in law at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem while simultaneously studying conducting with Mendi Rodan at The Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. In 1965 he took first place in The America - Israel Cultural Foundation Conducting Competition, winning a scholarship to study advanced conducting at The Guildhall School of Music in London.
Yuval Zaliouk’s career started in 1966 in London as conductor of the Royal Ballet Company, where for four years he conducted extensively for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev at Covent Garden and on European tours. Mr. Zaliouk’s wife, Susan, is a former Royal Ballet ballerina.
Yuval Zaliouk won two important international conducting prizes: First prize in the Besancon, France, International Conductors Competition in 1967 and second prize in The Dimitri Mitropoulos International Conductors Competition in New York in 1970.
Mr. Zaliouk also held directorship positions with The Opera Studio in Paris, with the Edmonton Symphony in Canada and in Israel with the Haifa Symphony and the Raanana Symphonette.
In 1980, Mr. Zaliouk was appointed Music Director and Conductor of The Toledo Symphony in Ohio, USA, a position he held for nine years. During his tenure, Mr. Zaliouk gained a national reputation as a champion of American and contemporary music, while at the same time tripling the Orchestras’ subscribers. For this achievement, Mr. Zaliouk and the Orchestra won the coveted first prize ASCAP Award for Progressive Programming. Mr. Zaliouk was appointed Conductor Laureate of The Toledo Symphony at the end of his tenure.
Yuval Zaliouk has conducted extensively many orchestras all over the world. Currently he is Principal Conductor of the MostArts Summer Festival in Alfred University, New York.
More information can be found on his website.
In 1968, I conducted the Royal Ballet Company of London which toured Europe with Magot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. The tour brought us to the famous Granada Festival in Spain where I met Joaquin Achucarro for the first time. He was also performing at the Festival. His playing was magnificent and unforgettable. This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and of many opportunities to play together. Since then, I have had the privilege, honor and pleasure to perform with Joaquin Achucarro in Spain, Israel, England, Wales, Denmark and of course in Toledo Ohio during my tenure as Music Director of the Toledo Symphony.
Joaquin Achucarro is a great master of the piano and a great musician, together with some of the greatest pianists of our time. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to join him yet again, this time on the stage of the ever more significant MostArts Festival.
Joaquin Acucarro is without a doubt the greatest living Spanish pianist.
Another great pianist with whom I had the honor and pleasure to play numerous times. Mr. Schub caught my attention during my tenure as Music Director of the Toledo Symphony, after he won first prize in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition. I invited him to play with us in Toledo, and since then we not only remained wonderful friends, but played together again and again.
Andre Michel-Schub is a wonderful musician and interpreter of the monumental piano concertos such as the Brahms 1st piano concerto we shall play together in the MostArts Festival. He is a true "pianists pianist" playing the piano with sensitivity, colors and vigor as called for by the composer he performs. It is always a great pleasure to play with him and he always transfers the joy of music to his audiences. Not to be missed.