Author Archives: Udi Bar-David

About Udi Bar-David

Udi is a cellist with the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as President and Artistic Director of Intercultural Journeys, a none profit organization dedicated to the pursue of cross-cultural understanding through the arts. Udi Bar-David is widely considered as one of the most versatile cellists in the world today. Equally at home as a classical cellist and an innovative improviser of music of all genres, Udi has enjoyed performing on international stages with both classical and ethnic musicians from all over the world. Udi's classical music training began at the age of seven in Tel-Aviv, studying with Uzi Wiesel, supported by the American Israel Cultural Foundation. Later he came to the U.S. to study cello with Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School, and conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music with Max Rudolph. An acclaimed soloist, Udi performed with leading orchestras in Israel and recorded at the Jerusalem Music Center founded by Pablo Casals. Udi joined the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1987, of which he served on the Board of Directors and as the Artistic Coordinator for the Hear O Israel concert at the Core States Center. Inspired by visits to Arab, Jewish and Buddhist villages, in 2003, Udi became the founder, president, and artistic director of Intercultural Journeys, a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia which is committed to presenting performances, conferences, master classes, lectures, and other interactions that provide opportunities for musical dialogue and understanding among a variety of cultural traditions. In partnerships with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2007-08, Intercultural Journeys presented multi-media events featuring Arab and Jewish cross-cultural concerts, and paid homage to Native American music with R. Carlos Nakai, the world’s premier Native American flutist as the guest soloist. Spreading the messages of hope, understanding and co-existence, Udi continues to perform and create opportunities for open dialogues, bringing people together from difference cultural backgrounds at universities, public venues, and International communities.