Matan Porat

Matan Porat was born in 1982 in Tel Aviv

Matan Porat was born on January 21, 1982, in Tel Aviv, where he grew up. He was drawn to music early and began trying to compose at age 8. He now lives in Berlin.

He attended the Tel Aviv School of the Arts and Thelma Yellin High School. At the Tel Aviv music academy he studied piano with Emanuel Krasovsky and Maria João Pires, and composition with André Hajdu and Ruben Seroussi. He earned a master's degree at the Juilliard School and later studied with George Benjamin and Murray Perahia in London.

In 2002 he replaced pianist Sarah Wolfensohn on short notice with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He has played at the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Louvre, and as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared at festivals such as Marlboro, Ravinia and Verbier.

His works include an opera based on Orwell's Animal Farm and a musical drama after a Kafka story, performed at the Cameri Theater. He has been composer in residence at festivals in Lockenhaus, Basel, Cleveland and Berlin. He has released 4 solo albums on the Mirare label and 2 chamber music discs.