Avi Rothbard

Avi Rothbard has established himself as a prominent figure in the vibrant music scene of New York City. After being granted a  scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Avi embarked on a transformative journey that would shape his career. 

During his time at Berklee, Avi's exceptional talent was recognized with numerous accolades. He was honored with The Jimi Hendrix Award, the Boston Jazz Award, and The William Leavitt Award, which facilitated the completion of his jazz performance degree. Fuelled by this success, Avi made the pivotal decision to make New York City his permanent home in the summer of 1999. 

Since then, Avi has continued to evolve as an artist, earning a Master of Arts in Jazz Studies from the City College of New York. Embracing the vibrant jazz scene of the city, he has become a regular fixture in live jazz venues across NYC and the tri-state area. 

Avi's musical journey has intersected with some of the most esteemed jazz veterans in New York, Boston, Europe, and his native Israel. Rothbard performed and recorded with luminaries such as Ben Riley, Vaughn Freeman, Freddy Cole, Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffery, Grant Stewart, Mike Ledonne, Michael Weiss, Nicole Henry, Gregory Porter, Ray Drummond, Ben Williams, Shedrick Mitchell, Richie Goods, Anthony Wonsey, Mike Clark, and Jay Leonhart, to name a few.

His musical prowess has not gone unnoticed, earning him a place in Scott Yanow's esteemed book, "The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide." Furthermore, Avi's talents as a composer have garnered international acclaim. He emerged as the winner of the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Award in 2014 and the USA Songwriting Competition in 2019, both in the jazz categories. 

 


 

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