Omer Meir Wellber

Omer Meir Wellber (Hebrew: עומר מאיר ולבר; born 28 October 1981, Beersheba) is an Israeli conductor and composer. Wellber began musical studies at age 5, on accordion and piano. He became a composition student of Tania Taler at age 9. He attended the music conversatory in Be'er Sheva, and graduated from there in 1999. He subsequently studied composition with Michael Wolpe, and continued studies on a scholarship from the American-Israel Cultural Foundation to continue his studies with Eugene Zirlin at the Jerusalem Music Academy and in the Mendi Rodan Programme. His compositions include: Suite for String Orchestra, Bassoon and Clarinet No. 1 Mandolin Concerto Music for Ten Instruments Oboe Quintet (The Last Leaf) Viola ConcertoFrom 2008 to 2010, Wellber was an assistant conductor to Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. In 2009, he became music director of the Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra. From 2011 to 2014, Wellber was music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. This appointment was unusual in that Wellber had not conducted with the company prior to his appointment. In 2015, Wellber, Jacob Reuven and the Rahat-based Bedouin nonprofit A New Dawn in the Negev initiated the "Sarab - Strings of change" music education programme. In March 2018, Wellber first guest-conducted the BBC Philharmonic. On the basis of this appearance, in October 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Wellber as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. In July 2018, the Teatro Massimo di Palermo announced the appointment of Wellber as its next music director, effective January 2020. He became principal guest conductor of the Semperoper Dresden as of the 2018-2019 season. Wellber's commercial recordings include Gioia, with Aleksandra Kurzak (Decca), DVD recordings of Eugene Onegin (C Major) and of Aida (BelAir Classiques). Wellber and his family make their home in Milan.