Dr. Roee Ben-Sira

Dr. Roee Ben Sira is a pianist, composer, and researcher whose work is rooted in the intersection of diverse musical traditions. His artistic and scholarly profile reflects a broad and multifaceted training: early studies as a classical pianist, a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance from Berklee College of Music, a Master’s degree in Composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, developed through long-term specialization in Brazilian music.
His album Ben Sira, recorded in Rio de Janeiro with leading choro musicians, received critical acclaim and was selected as one of the albums of the year by the music critic of Haaretz. His work A La Pixinguinha was premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York, and his orchestral piece Choro in the Village was performed by the Israel Chamber Orchestra. Ben Sira performs regularly as a pianist and music director at festivals in Israel and internationally. He was the musical director for a performance by Yoni Rechter at the Voice of Music Festival at Kfar Blum and has collaborated with internationally renowned artists, including Yamandu Costa, Danilo Brito, and the London-based ensemble Alvorada.
In recent years, he has created two large-scale vocal works for the Klipa Theater - Bati Raiti and Yofi. Both are a cappella works that unfold through space, integrating movement and voice, and exploring performative formats that extend beyond the traditional concert setting. The works have been presented dozens of times at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, where Yofi continues to be performed after more than forty performances.
In 2015, he was awarded a grant from the State of Rio de Janeiro for an eight-month research residency in Brazil. In 2017, he received the prestigious Schusterman Fellowship and served as a visiting artist and lecturer for one semester in the Department of Ethnomusicology at Florida State University. He currently teaches at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and since 2025 serves as Head of the Department of Multidisciplinary Performance at the Academy.