Michael Greilsammer
Michael Greilsammer מיכאל גריילסאמר | |
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| Born | Michael Greilsammer May 30, 1981 |
| Origin | Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
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| Website | michaelgreilsammer |
Michael Greilsammer (Hebrew: מיכאל גריילסאמר; born 30 May 1981) is an Israeli violinist, singer-songwriter, and composer. Originally trained as a classical violinist, he became known for fusing diverse musical genres including reggae, Irish folk, rock, Baroque, French chanson, and Mediterranean rhythms.[1][2] He is a resident of Jerusalem and performs internationally in Hebrew, French, and English.[3]
Early life
[edit]Greilsammer's parents immigrated to Israel from France and Belgium and are both university professors.[4] He grew up in a traditional-religious, multilingual household with a strong interest in music; all five brothers in the family are musicians.[4] His elder brother is David Greilsammer, an internationally recognised pianist and conductor who has served as artistic director of the Geneva Camerata since 2010.[5]
Greilsammer began studying the violin at the age of five and was considered a child prodigy during his childhood years.[6]
Career
[edit]Early career and Black Velvet (2001–2008)
[edit]In his adolescence, Greilsammer began moving away from classical music toward Irish traditional music, reggae, and rock.[4] His connection to the band Black Velvet came about when his brother David shared an apartment with the group's principal violinist, who left to study at the Juilliard School in New York; Michael took his place.[5] He performed regularly with Black Velvet on large stages across Israel for approximately five years.[4][7]
During this period, he also began collaborating with a number of prominent Israeli artists, including Berry Sakharof, Alma Zohar, Hatikva 6, Alon Oleartchik, and Mosh Ben-Ari, joining Ben-Ari's tour Massa-ou-Mattan.[4] In 2007 he formed his own band.[5] He was also chosen as an opening act for internationally recognized musicians including Amadou & Mariam, Macy Gray, and Ziggy Marley, and performed alongside Irish musicians John McSherry and Emer Mayock.[8]
He met his future wife, singer-songwriter Shimrit Dror, through their shared involvement in Black Velvet; the two began a musical collaboration in 2001 when he played violin for Fionola, a band in which Dror sang and wrote songs.[3]
Mitorer / Je me réveille (2009)
[edit]In 2009, Greilsammer released his debut album Mitorer / Je me réveille (Hebrew: מתעורר; "Waking Up") under the French label Naïve Records.[6][4] The album was released simultaneously in France and Israel and featured songs in Hebrew, French, and English. The singles "Ishti Hayekara" (Hebrew: אשתי היקרה; "My Dear Wife") and "Yalla Boi" (Hebrew: יאללה בואי; "Come On") ranked in the Israeli music charts and received over one million internet plays.[4] The album was released internationally on 8 February 2010.[9] Following the album's release, Greilsammer was often referred to in Israel as a "reggae-violinist".[3]
B Paris (2011)
[edit]In 2011, Greilsammer and his wife Shimrit Dror Greilsammer jointly released the album B Paris (Hebrew: בפריז).[4] The album was released on 24 November 2011.[10] The single "Tou dou dou" (Hebrew: טו דו דו) was entered in the Israeli national pre-selection (*Kdam Eurovision*) for the Eurovision Song Contest.[4] Following the album's success, he toured internationally, performing at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, the Der Kulturen festival in Berlin, the Tablu festival in India, and a reggae festival in Barbados.[4]
Nonprofit Band (2013)
[edit]In 2013, Greilsammer formed the "Nonprofit Band" together with drummer Uriel Swerdin and bassist Ohad Eilam. The band recorded an album for free in a studio in Nice, France, and released it online at no charge as part of the project's philosophy.[4] The band toured in Israel and Canada and received positive reviews, including the description "Reinvented Rock and Roll" by music blogger Kelsey Sunstrum of apt613 (Canada).[4]
Hatikvah–Game of Thrones mashup (2014)
[edit]In April 2014, while preparing for concerts in France to mark Israeli Independence Day, Greilsammer created and posted a video in which he performed a mashup of Israel's national anthem "Hatikvah" with the theme from the HBO series Game of Thrones.[11] The black-and-white video went viral and received significant media coverage in international outlets including The Hollywood Reporter and The Jerusalem Post.[11][12]
Nature of Me (2016) and Schusterman residency
[edit]Greilsammer's third album, Nature of Me, was released in 2016.[3] In connection with the album, he toured in Canada with shows in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, and Vancouver.[3] He had previously served as an artist-in-residence in Ottawa in 2013, supported by a grant from the Schusterman Foundation.[3]
Shlomo Carlebach tribute (2015–2017)
[edit]In 2015, Greilsammer produced a tribute concert dedicated to the work of Shlomo Carlebach, the Jewish singer-songwriter. The show was subsequently incorporated into a United States tour in 2017.[4]
Later work
[edit]Greilsammer has continued to perform and release material, including the album 2X5 (2019) and a series of acoustic sessions.[13] In 2026, he performed at Confederation House in Jerusalem as part of a new trio show described as a "sonic autobiography", featuring guitarist Assa Bukelman and percussionist Lidor Levy, blending his original compositions with cinematic film scores, Gypsy jazz, and Irish music.[14]
Musical style
[edit]Greilsammer plays an amplified electric violin and sings in Hebrew, French, and English.[3][8] His music draws on a wide range of styles including reggae, Irish folk, rock, Baroque, French chanson, and Mediterranean music.[1] He has described the parallels between Irish folk and reggae as central to his creative approach, noting that both genres are rooted in simple, dance-oriented folk traditions.[7] He often integrates violin into reggae bass lines and off-beat rhythms, a technique he has credited with opening international performance opportunities.[14] A recurring theme in his work and live performances is the dialogue and interplay between musical cultures from across the world.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Greilsammer is married to singer-songwriter Shimrit Dror Greilsammer. They met through the Israeli-Irish band Black Velvet and have three children.[3] They attend Zion, a Masorti synagogue in Jerusalem.[3]
Discography
[edit]| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/2010 | Mitorer / Je me réveille | Naïve Records | Debut album; lyrics in Hebrew, French, and English |
| 2011 | B Paris (with Shimrit Greilsammer) | The 8th Note / Lev Group Media | Includes Eurovision pre-selection entry "Tou dou dou" |
| 2013 | Nonprofit Band (with Nonprofit Band) | Self-released | Recorded in Nice, France; released online for free |
| 2016 | Nature of Me | — | Third solo album; toured Canada upon release[3] |
| 2019 | 2X5 | — | — |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Musical virtuoso brothers David and Michael Greilsammer team up". The Jerusalem Post. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ↑ "Michael Greilsammer – YouTube channel". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Marder, Rachel (29 October 2016). "Israeli musician is proud to represent his home". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Michael Greilsammer – musician". Eshkolot. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 3 Steinberg, Jessica (25 April 2017). "Fiddler's balancing act: Seeking success, but not at the kids' expense". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 "Hatikvah–Game of Thrones mashup". Israel21c. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 Brinn, David (8 November 2009). "Brothers find one foundation". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 "Michael Greilsammer – artist biography". Bandsintown. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ↑ "Je me réveille (Mitorer)". Apple Music. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ↑ "B Paris / בפריז". Amazon. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 "Holy Mashup! 'Game of Thrones' Theme Meets Israel's National Anthem". The Hollywood Reporter. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ↑ "Game of Thrones meets HaTikvah in video mashup". The Jerusalem Post. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ↑ "New Album (Part 2) – Acoustic Session". Bandcamp. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- 1 2 "The alchemist of the strings: Michael Greilsammer returns to Jerusalem". The Jerusalem Post. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
External links
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