In Perfect Harmony: A Portrait of the Kohlberg Family Trio
- WOMCO
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
The Kohlberg Family Trio was awarded the Gold Prize in the B2: Classical category of the 2025 Season 2 World Classical Music Awards.
When and why did you form your trio, and does playing music together hold a special meaning for you?
The trio was formed in 2023 at Ophir's initiative. Ours is a musical family, and since childhood Ophir had been exposed to his parents' playing—Bat-Sheva as a professional violinist and Etan as an amateur pianist. Playing together has brought us even closer together, particularly given our similar musical sensibilities.
What’s it like to perform as a family trio? Does sharing both family life and musical life bring any special joys—or challenges?
For the three of us, each performance stays in our minds. For Ophir in particular, playing together is a source of both strength and joy.
Could you tell us more about your award-winning video performance of Beethoven trio op.11?
Ophir is a member of an amateur classical music group. As part of their activities, they started reading two of Beethoven's trios in which the viola substitutes for the cello. This encouraged him to look for further similar arrangements, resulting in the discovery of four additional arrangements; these included the trio op. 11. The three of us met regularly no less than once a week. As part of our preparations, Etan and Ophir joined forces with two clarinetist.
(A concert house – playing Beethoven, 9/2024)
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and anyone you'd like to thank?
This was entirely Ophir's idea. His parents only found out after the results had been announced. The three of us are grateful to WOMCO for encouraging music making on all levels and instruments. In our complicated world, music remains a source of joy, comfort and inspiration.
Biography
Ophir Kohlberg is an archivist and amateur violist and violinist. His mother Bat-Sheva is a former concertmaster of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. His father Etan is a retired professor of Islamic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in addition to being an amateur pianist.
