Mark Eliyahu – Compser,master of the Kamanche and Baglama, Musical producer and arranger.
Mark was born in 1982 in Dagastan in the distant Caucasus mountains and imigrated to Israel with his parents in 1989. Piris Eliyaho – Mark’s father, a Tar player, distinct musicologist and composer in the field of Eastern Music (Winner of the 2008 Prime Minister’s Award).
Mark Studied the violin from the tender age of 4 but at 16 he decided to leave his school and study Baglama and Turkish music. For that purpose he lived in the house of the Greek-Irish musical maser Ross Daly.
Afterwards he understood he wanted to devote himself to the study of Persian-Azerean music and the Kamanche for which he travelled to Bako, Azerbaijan and lived for 2 years being a student of Adalat Vazirov.
In 1999, with his retun to Israel, Mark participated in “The Spirit of the East” – a Concert and album directed and composed by Mark’s Father – Piris Eliyaho, with the participation of the famous Alim Qasimov and his daughter, Esti Kinan-Ofarim and other artists. On that year he also performed as a soloist with the Israeli Chamber Orchestra of Ramat-Gan in Israel’s Festival.
In 2000 Mark travelled to Europe where he was appointed a composer and performer for the contemporary dance company “Galili Dance” in Holland and “Gulbenkian Dance” dance company in Portugal. Additionally while traveling the world’s festivals and stages he was awarded the 1st price in the “Global Dance” festival.
Throughout 2002-3 Mark was chosen by the European Union and the United Colors of Beneton to represent Israel in the international project Musica Fabrica . For that aim Mark composed and arranged a musical piece he performed as a soloist together with a Philharmonic orchestra in a tour throughout the world, one of those performance took place in the Noble price awards ceremony.
In Israel Mark took part in his father’s projects one of which is the recording of the album “Mizmorim”, he also premiered his own show “Voices of Judea“ with which he performed throughout the country.
In 2004 Mark recorded his first solo album “Voices of Judea“ and performed with his ensemble throughout Europe and Israel, among the famous stages he performed at are the Pompidou center in Paris and the Fabrica festival in Italy. The album was released in 2005 and in that year, apart from many live performances Mark composed music for the theater show “Simple Prayers” by Aliza Elyon Israeli and contributed as a guest performer to many other projects in Israel and abroad.
Since 2006 and until 2010 Mark performed with his second Ensemble and show – “the Moon’s Dance”. He co-produced with his father two new albums : “Tehilim (Palsams)” , and “Al Hari Bsamim” and perfomed with his father in Israel’s Festival in their own program “Between the mountains of Caucus and Judea” in the participation of the famous singer Bimknom Mirzoyva.
He also started the long standing co-operation with Idan Raichel with whom he performed through the world, composed music for the documentary movie “In third form” and performed with his ensemble a new program – “In the dawn I will wait for you”. Among other places he performed I the Jewish festival of Krakov, Poland.
In 2011-2012 Mark co-operated with the Brazilian band Javaro while on tour in Brazil, participated as a composer and soloist in the concert series “Casablanca” of the Andalusian Mediterranean orchestra, composed music for the film “Ballad to the crying spring” of the director Benny Torati.
Mark continues to perform with his ensemble and with his father in Israel and throughout the world, takes part in the performance and recent album of the Israeli singer Rita, for which he arranged Persian traditional songs, as well as taking part in program “The Red lipped” by the famous Israeli artist Berry Sacharov in Israel and abroad.
Together with his father he is staging the programs “The singing of the mountain Jews” in the Piyot festval in Jerusalem , “Circles” in the international Oud festival, “The Jewish maqam” in Beit-Avichai in Jerusalem, and “The circle of life” in the “National Phonetica”. He also produces and records the Album “Sands (Holot)” together with his father and premiered the album’s live performance program. Mark participates as a soloist in Jerusalem’s New orchesrta. Recently Mark received the music award of the Israeli Oscar awards (Ofir’s award) and the music award in Jerusalem’s Festival.
