Amir Avsker

Israeli-born pianist, violinist, violist, composer, and conductor Amir Avsker performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. He was the 2023 Young Artist in Residence of All Classical Radio and a much sought-after accompanist, performer, composer, and arranger. His compositions have been performed by the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland and faculty members of Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music.

Avsker’s awards include the 2019 Oregon Music Education Association Composition Competition Middle School Division, the 2023 Metropolitan Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, and the 2023 Cognizart Young Artists Debut! Competition. He has held several leadership positions in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony and is a participant in Fear No Music's Young Composers Project.

Avsker is a co-founder of the Pacific Rose Ensemble, a string quartet made up of young musicians, which performs music from the standard repertoire as well as works by young composers with limited outreach. An avid linguist, Avsker speaks eight languages (Hebrew, English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Russian, and Portuguese). He enjoys opera and has developed an extensive knowledge of the genre and its history.

(Fall 2023)