Musicקלרי סרבש

Klari Szarvas

Klari Szarvas was an Israeli harpist and harp teacher who played in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from 1938.

1911 to 2007Harpist of the Israel PhilharmonicTeaching the harpJerusalem Symphony Orchestra harpist

Born: 12 May 1911, Budapest
Died: 12 January 2007, Haifa
Occupation: conductor, violinist, engineer, harpist
Education: Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Pálné Veres High School, Nemzeti Zenede

Klari Szarvas was born in 1911 in Budapest

Klari Szarvas was born in 1911 in Budapest to an assimilated Jewish family. She was the elder daughter of Nelli Szarvas and Felix Szarvas, a gynecologist and obstetrician. She began on the piano at 6 and moved to the harp at 10.

As a young woman she toured Europe giving concerts and won prizes in harp competitions. In 1932 she married Lazi Pataki, a chemical engineer who also wrote music criticism.

In 1938 the violinist Bronisław Huberman invited her to join the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which needed a harpist. After a trial visit she immigrated in September 1938 and settled in Tel Aviv. Her daughter Ilana was born in 1940, and in 1946 she married Yoseph Weissgerber, a cellist in the orchestra.

She and Weissgerber played chamber concerts together until his death in 1954. She also appeared as a soloist, taught the harp, and judged the International Harp Contest in Israel. In 1961 she moved to Jerusalem and played in the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

From 1997 she lived in Haifa with her daughter. She died in 2007. Her grandson Ori Sivan made documentary films about her.