Noam Sheriff (7 January 1935 – 25 August 2018) was a prominent Israeli composer, conductor, arranger and educator. Born in Tel Aviv, he became one of Israel’s leading musical figures through a career that combined composition, orchestral leadership and pedagogy. Sheriff is widely recognized for bringing together Western symphonic and choral traditions with motifs and modalities drawn from Jewish and Middle Eastern sources, helping define a distinct Israeli concert music voice.
Career and principal posts
Sheriff held several major artistic directorships and music directorships during his career, leading ensembles and shaping repertoire choices. Notable appointments included:
- Artistic Director of the Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra (1973–1982)
- Music Director of the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion (1989–1995)
- Artistic Director of the Israel Chamber Orchestra (2002–2005)
- Artistic Director of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra (2004–2018)
He also worked extensively as a guest conductor with Israeli and international ensembles, bringing both contemporary and classical repertoire to diverse audiences. As a composer and arranger he contributed works for orchestra, choir and stage that entered the regular repertoire of Israeli ensembles.
Teaching and influence
From 1990 Sheriff served on the faculty of the Samuel Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University, where he taught composition and conducting and later served as the academy’s director (1998–2000). In these roles he mentored multiple generations of Israeli composers and conductors, combining practical training with attention to national musical identity. His educational work reinforced links between academic study and professional ensemble life.
Musical style and contributions
Sheriff’s music is characterized by an interest in large-scale forms and a synthesis of cultural influences. He wrote symphonic and choral works, pieces for soloists and ensembles, and music for the stage. A hallmark of his output is the blending of modal material and rhythmic patterns associated with Middle Eastern and Jewish traditions into Western orchestral textures, producing music that is both modern and rooted in local cultural memory.
Legacy and reception
During and after his lifetime Sheriff was regarded as a central figure in Israeli concert life: an active conductor, prolific composer and committed teacher. His leadership of orchestras in Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion and Haifa helped expand programming and public engagement with contemporary Israeli music. He died in Haifa in August 2018 at the age of 83, leaving a catalogue of works and a generation of students and performers who continue to perform and teach his music.
Further reading and resources: see entries and recordings linked through institutional pages designated for composer biographies and orchestra archives on composer profiles, historical summaries of Israeli music on ensemble sites, conductor biographies on orchestra pages, local cultural histories for Tel Aviv and regional archives for Haifa.