Albert Beger

Albert Beger was born in 1959 in Istanbul

Albert Beger was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1959. He moved to Israel with his parents at age 3 and grew up in Kiryat Ata. As a young man he listened mostly to pop, rock and progressive rock.

The flute of Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull drew him to the instrument, and he began teaching himself flute during his army service. Afterward he studied classical music with flutist Uri Teplitz. He later moved to the tenor saxophone, studied at Rimon, and won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied for 3 years.

Back in Israel he played with the jazz group Minuet. His debut album, The Primitive, came out in 1995, followed by This Life in 1997 on NMC. He went on to record many albums, including Hevel Havalim, Listening, the two-part Evolving Silence with Hamid Drake and William Parker, Big Mother and Peacemaker.

Since the 2000s he has taught in the jazz department of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He is the younger brother of rock musician Meni Beger, and his son Stav Beger co-wrote the song Toy, which won Eurovision 2018. He is married to artist Anat Beger and lives in Moshav Dor.