Ariel Bart to perform at VJs in Sydney
Ariel Bart
Jewish Arts is thrilled to present an exceptional international artist, Ariel Bart, the acclaimed Israeli harmonica player and composer, appearing with her trio for one night only at VJs in Chatswood.
AB: Beit Zait, a small village (Moshav) near Jerusalem.
MG: Are other members of your family musical, e.g. your parents or other siblings?
AB: My older sister used to play the chromatic harmonica, too.
MG: Where did you study music?
AB: I studied in the Jazz Department at the Jerusalem High School for the Arts.
Then I began my bachelor’s degree and studied for two years at the Centre for Jazz Studies in Tel Aviv (the branch of The New School University in New York).
I completed the final two years of my degree at The New School University in New York City.
MG: What made you choose the harmonica/chromatic harmonica? Did you start straight away with the chromatic instrument? Or did you move from a blues harp?
My older sister fell in love with the harmonica and started playing it, and I, as the youngest sister, just followed and copied her. I never stopped, and eventually it became quite serious. I started right away with the chromatic harmonica and don’t feel like I really know how to play the blues (diatonic) harmonica.
From my perspective, it’s a completely different instrument.
MG: When did you go to Berlin?
I moved to Berlin a couple of years ago to study my master’s degree. Eventually, I quit my studies and went back to Israel for a while, but I stayed connected to the city and kept going back and forth for some time. I officially moved back to Berlin about a year ago.
MG: What are your future plans?
Based in Berlin, Ariel Bart has redefined the expressive possibilities of the chromatic harmonica, developing a distinctive sound through her original compositions, intimate phrasing, and captivating tone.
Her debut album, In Between (Ropeadope Records, 2021), introduced audiences to her innovative voice, followed by Documentaries, which deepened her exploration of storytelling through sound.
Ariel has performed and recorded with leading artists such as William Parker, Andrew Cyrille, Yossi Fine, and Yemen Blues, and appeared as a soloist with The Jerusalem Orchestra East and West.
Over the past three years, The Ariel Bart Trio has toured widely, appearing at major jazz festivals across Europe and Asia, including Éclats d’Email (France), Jazzahead 2024 (Germany), Freespace JazzFest (Hong Kong), and Jazz à l’Ouest (France).
In her Australian debut, Ariel will be joined by two outstanding local musicians — Lauren Tsamouras (piano) and Freya Schack-Arnott (cello) — for an evening of intimate, boundary-crossing music.
The VJs Team looks forward to welcoming you on Sunday, 7 December at 7pm.
For bookings: https://jewish-arts.org.au/civicrm/event/register?id=70&reset=1
