Acclaimed Israeli cellist Ina Esther Joost describes her journey growing up in post-war Germany, moving to Paris as a young adult where she performed with Pierre Boulez and his renowned Ensemble Inter-Contemporain, converting Orthodox Judaism while in Paris, and making aliyah to Israel to accept the post of Principal Cellist with the Jerusalem Symphony, a position she held for over 20 years. Ms. Joost illustrates each phase of her journey with musical examples on her cello.

Ina-Esther Joost is one of Israel’s leading cellists. She has frequently performed as a soloist in Israel, in most of the European countries, USA, Korea and Brazil. She appeared with world renowned orchestras including the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (IBA), the Tokyo Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande-Geneva and Marseille Chamber Orchestra, as well as symphony orchestras of Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin (RIAS), Cologne (WDR), Munich, Paris, Belgrade and Rio de Janeiro. Since 1992 she has given master classes in Hungary, Poland, Germany, USA and Brazil.

Ms. Joost has been a member of the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain, Paris, and of the Kaprizma Ensemble, Israel. She has premiered numerous works dedicated to her by Israeli composers. She has performed and recorded for radio and television in Israel, Europe and the USA. The Israeli Music Institute produced her recording of contemporary French and Israeli music for cello solo. Her further CDs include “Romantic and Impressionistic Music” for cello and piano, the Six Suites for cello solo by Bach, and “Nigunim” for cello solo. In 2010, Naxos published her CD with compositions by Gabriel Faure for cello and piano, and in 2014, her new CD of Russian sonatas for cello and piano.

Ms. Joost began her musical studies in Germany, where she was born. After graduating from the State Academy of Music in Hamburg, she studied with Pierre Fournier, Enrique Barenboim and Sergiu Celibidache. She received numerous awards and top prizes, including: First Prize in the All-Germany Young Cellists Competition, Diploma at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and the First Prize (ex-equo) at the International Cello Competition in Belgrade.

Since 1989, Ina-Esther Joost has been the Principal Cellist and soloist of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (IBA). She has been in high demand as a soloist in Israel and abroad. The JSO has accompanied her solo performances including works by Beethoven, Schubert, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Bruch, Prokofieff, Martin, Seter, Avni, Kopytman, Bardanashvili and Kazhiloti.