Asaf Ophir, clarinet

Multi-genre clarinetist Asaf Ophir was born in Israel and has played woodwinds in Israeli musicals on such distinguished stages as Habima Theatre, the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem Theatre, and Haifa Theatre. Hailed for his passionate and versatile tone, Ophir moved to the United States in 2014, where he continues to teach and perform a blend of classical, ethnic, and jazz music around the Bay Area. This is his third performance on Listen for Life’s Notes for Nourishment series – he was a special guest on the launch of the downtown San Jose NFN series on September 17, and he thrilled our Alameda NFN audience in our “Peacebridge” concert of Middle Eastern music on September 24. If you missed it, catch the video at http://www.carolan-imagery.com/Notes-for-Nourishment/Notes-for-Nourishment-Concerts/170924-Notes-for-Nourishment-18/170924-Videos-Peace-Bridge/ “Asaf Ophir gives the clarinet the timbre of a trumpet, then a violin, then a raspy scream. In one climactic moment, he scores a climb in pitch and volume so perfectly that the instrument’s wail almost becomes too plaintive and beautiful to bear.” – The S.F.Chronicle