about
short bio
Ofer Pelz is a composer, improviser, and somatic practitioner based in Montreal, trained in Jerusalem and Paris. His work grows from one root: the body listening - a practice shaped by Feldenkrais and Focusing that guides both his music and the way he teaches and accompanies others in somatic listening. He teaches composition at the Conservatoire de Montréal. His music has been performed at La Biennale di Venezia and on albums including Trinité and 'it starts'.
long bio
Ofer Pelz is an Israeli-born, Montreal-based composer, improviser, and somatic practitioner. He studied composition in Jerusalem (JAMD) and Paris (CNSMD, IRCAM) and Montreal, where he completed a doctorate in composition at the Université de Montréal. He teaches composition at the Conservatoire de Montréal.
His music has been performed at festivals including La Biennale di Venezia, IRCAM-ManiFeste, MATA Festival, Cervantino, and the Crypt Sessions in New York, by ensembles such as the Meitar Ensemble, Quasar, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and Neue Vocalsolisten. His work has been covered in The New York Times. He is a recipient of the Ernst von Siemens and two ACUM awards, along with recognitions from Canada, France, Israel, and Germany.
He co-founded Whim, an experimental jazz trio, and Ensemble Tesse, a collective creation group, with whom he co-directed Concerti, a 45-minute music-film. His albums include the portrait Trinité with the Meitar Ensemble and, most recently, 'it starts' and the Love Tapes series on offnotes records. His compositions also appear on David Greilsammer's Labyrinth and Quasar's Disque Bleu. He has also collaborated with a diverse range of artists, filmmakers, and choreographers.
Alongside composition, Pelz has worked since 2006 as a certified Feldenkrais practitioner, adding Focusing to his practice in 2020 (certified by The International Focusing Institute, 2023). From these grew Somatic Listening, a practice of embodied creation, which he offers in sessions and workshops.
selected press
"Mr. Pelz's fluttering 'Chinese Whispers' brought the five excellent Meitar players... The end - long seconds of toneless evocation of breathing - was as delicate as music gets." The New York Times · Zachary Woolfe
"Brilliantly inventive music is achieved through a seeking, inquisitive mind; the music of Ofer Pelz is to be celebrated." American Record Guide · Colin Clarke
"…the acoustic and the electronic operating in conversation with each other and in doing so presenting us with a most modern take on beauty itself." American Record Guide · Colin Clarke
"…a distinctive and attractive voice on the contemporary scene." MusicWeb International
"It is just what you need for some refreshing poetic forays into timbral brilliance. Bravo." Classical Modern Music
press photos
high resolution, free to use with credit.
