About Nirit Ziv-Wexler
~ Sidney Lanier
My journey started with the all-consuming, captivating sound of the guitar which I’ve first discovered at early age through a music teacher accompanying us students with her classical guitar as we learned to play the recorder. I felt drawn to it, a feeling that remains to this day
At the time of my early youth, choosing music as a main field of study was not an available option. While this felt pretty tragic at the time, it led me to other mediums that I believe helped shape a deeper understanding of music through art.
I chose art as my major, which was an introduction to learning the foundation of color & form, creating visual art using various materials and techniques. To this day I’m an avid painter with a passion for creating Acrylic or oil paintings and charcoal artwork. But the insatiable hunger for music, especially everything involving the classical guitar would not go away, and I continued to try and advance my skills and understanding of music the first chance I got.It was during my later teens that the biggest turning point occurred. I saw a chance to apply to the famous Jerusalem Academy of Music, and it was time to take things into full gear in order to get accepted.
Once a week I would take three buses to the home of Professor Yosi Yerushalmi, one of the greatest classical guitar teachers in Israel, which has graciously accepted me as his student and helped me prepare for the entrance exams at and aided me for four more years. With hard work, and a splendid teacher, not only was I accepted into the Jerusalem Academy until I got my bachelor’s degree, but I was also recognized by the America Israel Cultural Foundation and received a scholarship in each consecutive year.
The scholarships helped me advance my passion to new heights, which included travelling and participating in Master Classes with some of the finest guitar players in the world, including John Williams, David Russell, Sharon Isbin, Wolfgang Lendle, Oscar Giglia. At the time I’ve also continued my studies with summer programs in Hungary and Spain, and shortly after I received a scholarship to study at Yale School of Music, which was an outstanding opportunity to study under Professor Benjamin Verdery and continued my studies until getting my M.M. through my work with the Classic Guitar.
I’ve resided in the United States for over 12 years where I also married and started a family with Three Children. During that time I’ve continued working on my craft and performed in the New York and East Coast Area, while also developing my career as a music teacher, teaching classical guitar in my private studio as well as in the music department of Ramapo College
Before my return to Israel in 2004, I released a CD which primarily consists of solo performances, as well as duets with the American/Belarusian Guitarist Elina Chekan. The album is an omage to music from Northern Spain, with compositions by late 19th century, Early 20th Century Guitarist, Miguel Liobet.
After my return to Israel, I’ve started numerous projects with an emphasis on composing and arranging original classical guitar music, as well as collaborations with masterful musicians in my own craft, and other musical instruments. I’ve also continued advancing my ability as a classical guitar teacher, as my desire to pass on some of my own knowledge and experience grew even stronger. Since then I’ve opened up my own studio in Zichron Yaakov, Israel, and released a 2 part book series titled “Guitar for Kids”.
And to think, it all started with a delightful music teacher, who taught me and my friends how to play the recorder, as well as the love of music. A moment that helped guide me into a career of teaching, performing all over the world with my classical guitar, and other wonderful moments.
