Miri Ben-Ari honored by AICF with Aviv award

By Eileen Wingard

Eileen Wingard
Eileen Wingard
Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari

SAN DIEGO — In glitzy outfits with bling and cling, cascading auburn tresses framing her starlet face, the Israeli hip-hop violinist, Miri Ben-Ari, has climbed to a top spot in the world of pop music.

Ben-Ari began classical violin lessons at the age of five, in Tel Aviv, winning scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. She qualified for sessions with Isaac Stern and Yehudi Menuhin. Stern even presented her with a violin.  While in the Israeli Defense Force, she was selected to play in the Israeli Army String Quartet.

However, after her military stint, chronic fatigue syndrome put an end to her intense practice regimen, and she decided to pursue a different path. Inspired by the music of Charlie Parker, she moved to New York to study jazz. Her playing and rock star appeal brought her to the attention of the famous trumpeter, Winston Marsalis, who took her under his wing. She began fusing classical music with soul and dance tunes, learning to improvise, compose and produce her own material.

Over the years, she has collaborated with many well-known performers such as Rhythm and Blues singer Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Li’l Mo and Armin Van Buuren.  She won a Grammy Award for co-authoring rap songs with pop star, Kanye West . The glamorous Israeli has performed for President Obama at the White House, cohosted the recent Grammy awards, played at the Miss Universe China Pageant and was scheduled to headline a concert last October, opening the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at Cape Town, South Africa in honor of Nelson Mandela.  Unfortunately, due to a dispute about the attendance of the Dalai Lama, that conference was cancelled.

Ben-Ari has been on the cover of Cliché Magazine, is the global brand ambassador for Harman Kardon, the German electronic company, and serves as the UN Goodwill Ambassador to Brazil. Following the tradition of many celebrities, she has founded her own non-profit charity. Her’s is named Gedenk (Yiddish for “remember”), to further Holocaust education and promote tolerance. When asked why she dedicates her time and effort to humanitarian work, she responded, “As an artist, I carry the responsibility to use my artistic platform to promote positive and powerful messages. There is nothing like giving back.  It is inspiring and drives me to become a better person.”

Last Sunday, at the America-Israel Cultural Foundation’s Annual New York Gala, the Israeli pop star was honored with the Aviv Award, presented to her by the host of the event, the great classical violinist, Itzhak Perlman.  She was cited for her talent and humanitarianism.

She thanked the AICF, “I felt as if I have come full circle, receiving the Aviv Award from the same Foundation that paid for my violin lessons when I was a child. Thank you, America-Israel Cultural Foundation, for this honor!”

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Wingard is a freelance writer who specializes in the arts.  Your comments on this story may be placed in the box below or sent directly to the author at eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com