Yisrael Lutnick and His Music

So Here's My Story

Thanks for your interest! I'm originally from Long Island, New York, and graduated from Yeshiva University with a degree in music and rabbinical ordination. For many years, I worked as a Cantor in a German Jewish synagogue in Washington Heights, where I succeeded in showing up three minutes late for services and not getting fired.

In 1992, on the day when get Yitzhak Rabin became Israel's prime minister, I landed at Ben-Gurion Airport as a new resident of Israel! (Actually, it was the plane that landed.) During my first years in the country, I recorded two albums of original Jewish music. Gesharim is the more mature of the two, and I am very proud of it!

Since I never heard of the concept of marketing back then, and since the music never grows old, now is a great time to rediscover Gesharim!

What Changed in 2001?

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I dove into the healing world of musical theater. I got into every local production I could, and decided to spend a couple of winters studying musical theater in New York.

A huge influence on my performance skills was the years I studied with Kimberly Vaughn in New York. Back in Israel full-time in 2005, I wrote and composed my own first musical, If I Could Rewrite the World. The show was produced in Jerusalem in 2007, and since then, I've been producing, directing, and performing with my theater troupe, Israel Musicals.

What Changed in 2020?

In February 2020, we had just finished a run of the Gershwin musical, Of Thee I Sing. Next up was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. One moment we were in the midst of rehearsals for that show, and the next, we weren't. So I went back to composing, and finished crafting the score of a new original musical, entitled The Four.

I also began updating and improving the music recordings on greatjewishmusic.com, which had fallen into some disrepair. In the process, I began writing new songs for the holidays. My Hanukkah song, "It's about Faith," was ready right after Hanukkah ended. Oh well, I'll release it next year. But the Purim song, "Hey Hey Hey Haman," made it just in time!

What's next?

I'm composing and preparing a new small album of songs for the Jewish holidays, to be called Each in Its Season. I hope to release it in time for the High Holidays of 5783.

And Israel Musicals has already started producing the world premiere of The Four, scheduled for this spring. I know, "world premiere" sounds really impressive. It will actually be just a few workshop performances, but technically that is a world premiere!

So stay tuned for new opportunities to get Gesharim, the new album of holiday songs, and, if you're in Israel, to come and see my new musical, The Four. I will also be releasing cast albums of that show, and of my first musical, Rewrite the World. Oh my gosh! So much to do!

What Music and Musicals Have I Written?

My output has been in two main areas: Jewish music and musical theatre. I grew up with both, and with classical, but my inner Beethoven is still inner. I suppose someday I may write something, but for now I'm thrilled to create these wonderful things.

Album: Gesharim

13 beautiful songs that remain as captivating as ever. Some music sounds great the first time, and then you feel you experienced it. With these creations, the more you listen, the more you want to listen. Initially released in 1997 (seems like yesterday) Gesharim is being rediscovered now.

Musical: Rewrite the World

My very first musical, this holds a special place in my heart. It is the story of a young man named Aaron Cohen who attempts to save his parents' marriage with guidance from his Biblical namesake. The show takes a personal look at the biblical stories we all know and love, and mixes them with great song after great song. The Rewrite cast album is an upcoming project. See more here.

Storytelling Concert: Frankly Sinatra

For over eight years, I gave this performance all over Israel and on the East Coast of America. It is my one man tribute to a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people, Frank Sinatra. I love the Great American songbook, and singing Sinatra is always among the most enjoyable things to do.

Storytelling Concert: Rosenblatt and Gershwin

This beloved show tributes two giants of the musical world in America in 1920s, Cantor Yoselle Rosenblatt and composer George Gershwin. While they circulated in opposite musical worlds, they both shared Jewish roots in Russia and meteoric success in America.

New Musical: The Four

A brand-new intimate musical about two couples who get mixed up on a blind date and find themselves competing with each other for musical theater stardom. We are beginning rehearsals as of this writing, March 2022, and hope to release a cast album before the end of the year.

Album: Hamakor

This was my first time doing anything of my own in a recording studio. One of the songs, "Ma Lecha Hayam," made it to number three on the Israeli traditional radio network's hit parade. The songs are not currently available, but I do hope to revisit them in the next couple of years.

Let's Connect through Jewish Music and Values

We live in a surprising world, not always easy. I find that music is SO important, as is tradition, in navigating these times. If not for music, when I was in solitary confinement (quarantine), I might have suffered physically from the stress. Music and our traditional values have always provided comfort, joy and direction in times of uncertainty.

So I'm always creating music, and have plenty to share from now and before, that I think you will love. So let's connect and enjoy harmonious, friendly and musical inspiration and guidance together! Here's what you'll get, and what you WON'T get:

Not gonna tell you what's new with me. I'll let the music do it.
Not gonna sell you stuff, just gonna let you hear the music and show you where to get more of it.
Not gonna share our connection with anyone else.
You WILL know when there's new music on the way, before I let anyone else know.
You WILL enjoy special music videos and recordings.
You WILL receive thoughts from our tradition that are important in our surprising world.
And I WILL write back if you write to me (if physically possible, to the best of my ability).

I'm Yisrael Lutnick, and welcome to my page!