Bio
A native of Israel (1982), Merav has started her Double-Bass studies at the age of 14, under the instruction of Dr. Michael Klinghoffer, upon her admission to the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts (Givataim, Israel). There, Merav has performed as a leading / solo bass player with the school symphony orchestra, and received a participation scholarship at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music Summer Festival (Nelson, NH), as well as at the annual “Music in the Valley” International Summer Institute for Strings. She participated in master classes with Yoan Goilav, Richard Hartshorne, Michael Wolf, David Murray, Diana Gannett, Mark Bernat and Nabil Shehata.
Merav has been a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships throughout her studies in high-school, and later in the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She graduated the Academy with a B.Mus (Cum Laude) degree in 2004, continuing her postgraduate education with a B.Ed.Mus (Cum Laude) degree in 2006 and a M.Mus (Cum Laude) degree in 2007. For her achievements, Merav was awarded with a Dean’s scholarship in 2003. Currently Merav continues her doctoral studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, researching Israeli popular music under the instruction of Prof. Naphtali Wagner.
As a performer, Merav plays various musical styles. Between 2006 and 2008 she performed with the Jerusalem IBA Symphony Orchestra, and prior to that performed as a freelancer with the Rishon-LeZion Symphony Orchestra and with The Caprizma Contemporary Music Ensemble, “Twenty Something” Ensemble (at the Jerusalem Music Center) and The Jerusalem Strings (est. by Giora Feidman and Ilan Schull). She also participated in studio album recordings with Yehoram Gaon and Dudu Fisher. In the past year Merav is a member of several folk groups, among them “Havurat Atomic”, with whom she has recorded a studio album as a bass player and back-vocalist.
In the recent years, Merav is active at the musicological research of various popular music, focusing on text-music relations in Israeli music. In July 2009 she lectured on “Music and text relations in the works of Yoni Rechter” at the Annual Conference of the Israeli Musicological Society, presenting the main findings of her Master’s research thesis. The thesis, written under the instruction of Prof. Naphtali Wagner and noted for its excellence, is due to be published as a scientific article at the “Studies in Israeli and Modern Jewish Society” journal. For her research so far, Merav was awarded with the South-Africa – Israel Fund excellence scholarship.
Aside of her musical activity, Merav practices Chinese martial arts – Tai-Chi, Hshing-I and Pa-Kua – at the Israeli Tai-Chi Center, est. by Master Yehiel Nir Malchi.
Merav is married to Dr. Vladi Dvoyris, an IDF Dental Officer. They currently live in Karmi’el at the north of Israel.