Betty Olivero

Betty Olivero (*1954) belongs to the third generation of Israeli composers who no longer immigrated but rather were born in Israel and who cultivate an international style that is essentially informed by European art music. Olivero was born in Tel Aviv, where she studied piano and composition. In 1982, she continued her studies in the US. There she met Luciano Berio with whom she studied composition for three years in the US and Italy, and who influenced her significantly. Olivero lived in Florence for many years and has been Professor for Composition at the Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv since 2002.

Betty Olivero’s approach seeks to integrate the various folk-musical traditions that came to Israel in the course of the global migration, and to combine them with the compositional techniques of the avant-garde. One of her best-know works is the score for the silent film “The Golem” which she wrote for clarinettist Giora Feldman and which was inspired by Klezmer-music among other sources.

As of April 2023