East Studio Building, JS123
Education
- Diploma, Curtis Institute, 1975
Biography
Eli Eban is Rudy Professor of Music in Clarinet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He was previously a visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music for two years.
He was appointed principal clarinetist of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra under Lukas Foss immediately after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the invitation of Zubin Mehta.
During 13 seasons with the Israel Philharmonic, Eban performed and recorded all the major orchestral repertoire with the world's leading conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Simon Rattle, Georg Solti, Kryzstof Penderecki, and Lorin Maazel.
Eban was the featured soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on many occasions, and he has also performed concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata Academica, City of London Sinfonia, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Louisville Orchestra, National Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and Israel Camerata/Jerusalem, among others.
He tours extensively as a chamber musician, collaborating with renowned artists and ensembles. He has been guest artist with the Alexander, Audubon, Orion, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv, and Ying quartets and was a frequent participant of the famed Marlboro Music Festival.
While at Marlboro, Eban was selected by legendary violinist Sandor Vegh to be the first wind player to perform at the prestigious IMS Prussia Cove festival in England, drawing acclaim from London’s The Guardian for his “high-powered, electrifying performances.”
His subsequent recordings for Meridian Records, London, were cited by critics as being “full of life and highly sensitive.” He has also recorded for the Saphir, Crystal, and Naxos labels. He was a member of Myriad, a chamber ensemble formed by members of the Cleveland Orchestra, and has often traveled to Eastern Europe to perform and teach at the invitation of the European Mozart Foundation.
Master class appearances include the Cleveland Institute, San Francisco Conservatory, Guildhall School of Music, Michigan State University, Glen Gould School, Central Conservatory in Beijing, Buchman–Mehta School at Tel Aviv University, and Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem.
Eban’s former students are pursuing active solo careers and have won orchestral positions in Israel, Denmark, Korea, Poland, Singapore, and South Africa. In the United States, they can be heard in the symphony orchestras of Indianapolis, New Mexico, and Toledo, as well as in the New World Symphony and the premier service bands in Washington, D.C.
Eban divides his time between teaching at the Jacobs School of Music, touring as a soloist and chamber musician, and serving as the principal clarinetist of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. His summers are spent performing and teaching at the Sarasota Music Festival and playing principal clarinet in the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.