Ofra Harnoy, born on January 31, 1965, in Hadera, Israel, is a Canadian cellist recognized internationally for her virtuosity and compelling stage presence. Known for her warm yet powerful playing style, Harnoy has established herself as a leading figure in classical music.
Her family relocated from Israel to Toronto in the early 1970s during her childhood. Harnoy began studying the cello at the age of six under the tutelage of her father, an amateur violinist, before later receiving formal instruction in Toronto and London. She further honed her craft through master classes with distinguished cellists, including the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich.
Harnoy’s professional debut came at just ten years old when she performed as a soloist with the Boyd Neel Orchestra in Toronto. Following this, she achieved remarkable success in competitions, winning the Montreal Symphony Competition in 1978, the Canadian Music Competition in 1979, and the New York Concert Artists Guild Competition in 1982. Notably, she was the youngest musician to win the latter, an accomplishment that led to her Carnegie Hall debut at age 17, two years after performing at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Her performances were distinguished by custom-designed gowns and her choice of a century-old cello, selected for the instrument’s rich tonal quality and responsiveness. In 1983, she was the featured soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere and recording of Jacques Offenbach’s overlooked cello concerto. The following year, she presented the North American premiere of Sir Arthur Bliss’s cello concerto in Santa Barbara, California.
Continuing her contribution to cello repertoire, Harnoy premiered world recordings of cello concerti by Giovanni Battista Viotti and Josef Myslivec̆ek in 1993. Broadening her musical reach, in 1996 she released Imagine, a crossover album interpreting 22 of The Beatles’ most famous songs.
Throughout her career, Harnoy has earned multiple prestigious awards, including several Canadian Juno Awards for best classical soloist and the 1988 French Grand Prix du Disque. Her rendition of Vivaldi’s cello concertos was among the top-selling classical albums globally in 1990. She is particularly associated with Pablo Casals’s Song of the Birds, a piece she frequently performed in concert settings.
During the early 2000s, Harnoy took a hiatus from performing and recording to focus on family, care for an elderly parent, and recover from a shoulder injury. Despite this, she released Vivaldi: Complete Cello Concertos in 2005. She resumed her musical career in 2019 with the album Back to Bach accompanied by a concert tour. In 2020, she released On the Rock, an album inspired by the rural landscapes and culture of Newfoundland.
Throughout her journey, Ofra Harnoy has remained a captivating and influential artist in the classical music world, bridging traditional and contemporary audiences.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
