Biography
Bar Gottfried holds a Master’s in orchestra conducting from Universität der Künste Berlin under Prof. Harry Curtis and Prof. Steven Sloane, graduating with honors.
He has worked and conducted ensembles and orchestras in rehearsals and in concerts. To name a few: Wallonie-Liege royal Opera, Hradec Kralove Philharmonie, PKF Prague philharmonia, Leipziger Symphonic Orchester, Silesian philaharmonic, Berlin sinfonietta, Neuebrandenburg orchestra, Netanya-Kibbutz orchestra, Ra’anana symphonet, Magdeburg opera, Jerusalem Symphony and more. He has also worked as a conductor for Kadima-Zuran youth orchestra for 2 years.
As a current high point in his career as conductor, in June 2024 Bar led the Jerusalem Symphony orchestra in a concert in the outstanding outdoor auditorium in Caesarea, for a concert comprised of well-known classical music pieces, alongside traditional Israeli songs, arranged and orchestrated by himself for the orchestra, performing for a fully packed audience of 4000 people.
Bar Gottfried took part in various conducting master classes, with maestri Omer Meir Welber, Martin Seighart, Michel Tabachnik, Collin Metters, Lawrence Foster, and his father Yaron Gottfried.
Bar Gottfried was awarded scholarships and prizes for his music making, most notably the first place prize in Jerusalem classical guitar competition (2018), and an excellence scholarship prize awarded by the AICF for orchestra conducting, and classical guitar. Bar is also the winner of the master class with Maestro Lawrence Foster and Silesian philharmonic (2023).
Bar Gottfried won a position in the prestigious Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting fellowship in 2023, curated by Metropolitian Opera, Concergebouw orchestra and more. In February 2025 he took part as a competitor at the high-profile Opera competition at the Royal opera Wallonie Liege (Belgium). Bar Gottfried was a semifinalist in Bucharest competition and Zoraqi competition.
Outside of the music world, Bar Gottfried has appeared as a leading actor in Yaron Shani’s award winning film and Venice film festival official choice, “Stripped” (2017).
Repertoire
Symphonic
Bach: Orchestra suite No. 4
Barber: Knoxville summer of 1945, Violin concerto
Bartok: Concerto for orchestra, Divertimento for strings
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, Egmont ov. Piano Concerti Nos. 3 & 5
G. Benjamin: At first light
Brahms symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, Tragic ov. Academic ov. Piano concerto no. 2. Variations on theme by Haydn
Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7
Chopin: Concerto No. 2
Copland: Appalachian spring
Debussy: Prelude to afternoon of the Faun
Dvorak: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9, Serenade for strings, Cello Concerto
Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 104, 88, 6, 46, 101
Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 6, Kindertotenlieder, Das lied von der Erde
Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4, Hebrides suite
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35-41, overtures to Le nozze di Figaro, Zauberflote, Don Giovanni
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2
Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe Suites 1 & 2, Mother Goose, Piano concerto in G
Rossini: Overtures Barber of Seville, William Tell, Cenerentola
Saint Saens: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso
Schoenberg: Pierro Lunaire
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 9 & 10
R. Strauss: Don Juan, Tod und Verklärung, Bürger als Edelmann
J. Strauss: Fledermaus ov.
Stravinsky: Firebird suite, The rite of spring, a Soldier’s tale, concerto in D for strings, Pulcinella suite
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6, Violin concerto, Serenade for strings
Verdi: Overtures to Nabuco, La traviatta
Wagner: Overtures to Tristan, Tanhauser, Meistersinger, Fliegende Holländer
Weber: Freischütz overture
Premiers of pieces for different ensembles – Works by Boaz Ben Moshe, Or-ram Agam, Yoav Tirosh, Matthia Eisenberg
Pieces and orchestrations by me (all conducted by me with orchestras): Variations on Children songs by Chick Corea, Romantic Suite, Fantasia op. 145 by Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco orchestrated for orchestra and classical guitar. Pop music orchestrated by me – around 30 classical pop songs, mostly Israeli classics and Hasidic Jewish music.
Opera
Bellini: Capuleti e Montecchi
Donizzeti: Anna Bolena
Humperdink: Hansel und Gretel
Mozart: Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Zauberflöte
Puccini: Madame Butterfly, La Boheme
R. Strauss: Salome
Verdi: La Traviatta, Falstaff
Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer
Weber: Der Freischütz