About
"one of the most gifted composers and performers on the international jazz circuit today."
"Avishai Darash, once again, offers us a tremendous creative act. He is an astonishing musician and composer. The playing is responsive, emotive. An album laced with various moods and textures, Samskara is the result of a true creator, whose compositions allow us to catch the depth of the collective as well as the individuality of its musicians"
Avishai Darash, an Amsterdam-based pianist, composer, arranger, record producer and musical director, blends musical styles drawn from North African traditional music, Western classical music, American jazz and Israeli folk.
His musical journey began with the mentorship of his cousin, Tribal Tul, a psychedelic trance producer. At the age of 11, Avishai spent a weekend in Tul's studio learning about the production and creative process of electronic music. He went on producing psychedelic trance until the age of 16, gaining insights into structure, influences and arrangement that later shaped his musical direction.
At 16, Avishai attended his first jazz concert and was captivated by its spontaneity, communication and real-time composition. This led him to piano lessons with Ittai Rosenbaum and sealed his commitment to a musical career. He set aside electronic music production for a time to focus on music theory and band leading.
From 2008 to 2010, he studied for a Bachelor's degree at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where he was exposed to a wide range of styles and disciplines. In 2010, Avishai moved to the Netherlands to study jazz performance at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, building the network that would lead to many productions and educational opportunities.
Between 2012 and 2017, Avishai collaborated with Dutch-Moroccan oud virtuoso Mohamed Ahaddaf, touring and producing albums such as "Spoken Soul" (2014) and "Seasons" (2016). His debut album, "Impermanence" (2015), featured rising jazz talents Ofri Nehemya and Avri Borochov, and a string quartet from the prize-winning Metropole Orkest.
From 2017 to 2019, Avishai was head pianist and head arranger of the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra, playing over 350 shows with the orchestra and touring internationally. He also arranged and led the production of the project "ZIEL" in collaboration with the Amsterdam dance company ICK, featured on the albums "Andalusian Echoes" and "Ziel/Rouh."
With the Italian boutique label AMA Records, Avishai released three albums: "Nomadic Treasures" (2018), the critically acclaimed "Samskara" (2019) and "Quarantine Blues" (2021).
From 2020 to 2023, Avishai served as artistic director and pianist of the Marmoucha Orchestra, producing eight studio albums and one live album. Their groundbreaking approach combined traditional melodies with Western classical harmonies and earned support from the national Performing Arts Fund (FPK) and the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK). All About Jazz called the orchestra's album "Andalusian Love Song" "Darash's best album to date."
Between 2021 and 2023, Avishai joined MusicalMakers, an initiative curated by theatre producer Joop van den Ende and DeLaMar theatre, establishing himself as a sought-after composer for musicals and interdisciplinary stage projects. He received Sena production funding in 2021 and 2024.
His album "Between Hope and Despair" (2024), recorded with his world quartet, responds to the recent changes in the Middle East with a message of unity, love and connection. Its repertoire returned in "Between Two Mirrors" (2026), a double live album recorded at the Bimhuis and LantarenVenster.
Avishai is a signed artist with the audiophile label TRPTK. On TRPTK he has released the acclaimed albums "The Planned Child" and "The Unplanned Child," and more are on the way. Critics have embraced "The Planned Child": one reviewer wrote, "I remain in awe of what Avishai has shared," and another praised how its immersive mix brings the listener closer to his feelings and experiences. All About Jazz described "The Unplanned Child" as "pure, vulnerable, unadulterated Darash." His new trio album "Heart Bop," a play on hard bop, features Omer Govreen and Joe Blaxx. It has eight tracks and was recorded at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum.
Beyond his own projects, Avishai is dedicated to coaching the next generation of musicians, guiding them into the business of music and toward their own creative paths.
"This musician and composer is one of the talented geniuses of our era." (Paris Move)
