Hagai Biltzki

Hagai Biltzki (Jerusalem, 1976) is a double bassist, composer, senior lecturer at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and Head of the Jazz Department at the institution since 2025. He began his musical journey on classical guitar before transitioning to double bass and jazz, and between 2000–2003 was active in the New York jazz scene. Upon returning to Israel, an encounter with oud player Nino Bitton redirected his path toward Arabic music. He completed his M.Mus at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance under the supervision of Prof. Taiseer Elias and Prof. Michael Klinghoffer.
Over two decades, Biltzki has developed a unique art of Middle Eastern double bass, collaborating with some of the most important artists in traditional Eastern music, including Algerian pianist Maurice El Médioni, Yasmin Levy, Simon Shaheen, Taiseer Elias, Zohar Fresco, Mark Eliyahu, Peretz Eliyahu, and others. He has performed at major festivals in Israel and around the world, including the Israel Festival, the Eilat Jazz Festival, the Jerusalem Jazz Festival, the Oud Festival, UNESCO performances in Paris, and additional international festivals. He is regularly invited as a lecturer and soloist to international conferences in Europe and the United States. His album DoubleBassEast was released in 2009, and his album New Sound of the Middle East (2022) received international recognition and was selected as "Top of the World" by Songlines magazine. A new album, recorded in New York in 2025, is expected to be released this year.
At the Academy, Biltzki teaches double bass, jazz, and Middle Eastern music, and has developed innovative pedagogical approaches for transmitting traditional music in an academic setting. He creates and leads the MOOC course "Jewish Musical Traditions of the Middle East" on the edX platform.