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Efroni Choir Staff members
Shelly Berlinsky
Conductor
Shelly Berlinsky was born and raised in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel. Shelly has graduated from The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance as a vocal musician. As a singer Shelly has specialized in the genre of acapella in the field of ancient and early music.
Shelly is the Soprano of the Thalamus Quartet, an a-cappella ensemble which she founded in 2002. The Quartet is one of the leading vocal ensembles in Israel performing in major festivals, various radio stations and TV programs.
As a conductor, Shelly has founded the Cupellate choir, a heterogeneous choir comprised of singers from all walks of life and various religions.
As a musical educator, Shelly instructs singers of a broad spectrum of age groups, from kindergarten to seniors, and has also worked extensively with versatile communities, believing that singing in itself has the strength to elevate, enrich and connect people whoever they may be.
Shelly was the conductor of the young Efroni choir for 4 years and conducts the Professional Efroni choir for the past three years.
Janna Kopelev
Pianist
Janna Kopelev is an Alumna of the Rubin Music School at the Tel Aviv University, with a Master's degree in both playing and teaching piano.
Jana Performed as a soloist and in various groups, and has performed in many music festivals in Israel and abroad. She specializes in accompaniment of singers and choirs.
Jana is the permanent Pianist at the Efroni professional choir for many years, she also serves as the permanent pianist for the Kibbutz Artzi (Israeli Kibbutz movement) choir, and as the manager of the Givat Haim music center in the Hefer Valley.
Maya Shavit (R.I.P)
Founder
Maya Shavit (Z"l), was born and raised in Kibbutz Ma'abarot, where she lived for many years, absorbing deep and diverse layers of culture. She studied at the Tel Aviv College for Music Educators' and at the faculty of Musicology at the Tel Aviv University. She continued to study conducting with important conductors Gary Barthini and John Oldis at the Guildhall School of Music in London. She was singing with Barthini's as conductor in the "Rinat" choir and later conducted the national Kibbutz Choirs and Emek Hefer Choir. In 1981, she founded the Efroni Choir and served as its artistic and conducting director for over 30 years. In working with the choir, Maya focused on the educational aspects, and in doing so, developed unique teaching methods, which she taught both in Israel and overseas. Maya taught conducting and musical methodology for children's choirs at the Jerusalem Academy of Music – Oranim, as well as the Music School at the Levinsky College of Education.
In 1982, she initiated the program "Composers Writing for Children's Choirs", which is considered to be a turning point in raising the level of children's choirs in Israel and their status in the world. Maya put a particular emphasis on preserving Israel's traditions and cultures, especially with the Arab culture. In that respect, Maya has been collaborating with Arab, Israeli and Palestinian choirs for many years. From 2003 to 2009, she headed "Hallel" - the Israeli choral organization, also serving as its representative to the World Choir Federation, the IFCM. In December 2002 Maya was awarded the prestigious Frank Peleg Prize (by the Ministry for Culture and Sports of Israel) for her multi-year work in promoting the arts. In 2012, along with the choir, she was awarded the Landau Memorial Performing Arts Award, by the Council of the Arts at the Israeli Lottery Association.
Maya past away in July 2021, but her legacy lives on in the Efroni Choir family.