Winner of Cantorial Competition
Chazonus.com
After one week of judicious scoring by world famous Cantor Yaakov Motzen and an online poll that was open to the public, the winner of the inaugural cantorial vocal competition of Chazonus.com has been chosen.
Cantor Barry Braun, a South African born cantor was the favorite choice of Cantor Motzen and the public who voted in the online poll.
Barry started singing at a very early age, he was cast in lead roles in school productions and in children’s theatre. He was a soprano soloist in the Synagogue choir. His love for Chazonus may have been sealed when for his barmitzvah he officiated as Chazan for the whole service.
He sang with the Johannesburg Jewish Male Choir and participated in 4 concert tours of America and Australia.
In 2005, Barry was invited to officiate for the Yamim Noraim at the Green and Sea Point Hebrew Congregation. Following the services he was approached to become the Chazan at the Milnerton Hebrew Congregation in Cape Town, South Africa, where he held the position as Chazan for 7 years.
He has produced and directed many highly successful concerts and is invited to sing in concerts and officiate for Shabbat services in other parts of South Africa and overseas.
Cantor Braun, has recently made Aliyah to Israel together with his wife and three children. He was asked by the City of Ra’anana to officiate as Chazan for Yom Kippur, the Shul service that is initiated by the city.
He has now been asked by the City of Ra’anana to officiate for the Shabbat before Yom Haatzmaut at the Great Synagogue in Ra’anana on the 14th April 2018 where he will be accompanied by the Eitz Chaim Choir.
Cantor Braun is now studying cantorial music at the Petach Tikva cantorial school under the guidance of Cantors Yisrael Rand, Yechezkel Klang, Yossi Schwartz and Maestro Eli Jaffe.
An emotional Cantor Braun spoke to Chazonus.com, minutes after he was notified that he had won the competition: “I have tears in my eyes, recently I have been working on perfecting my music and Chazonus skills and it is so nice to be rewarded for the hard work!”
Chazonus.com would like to thank the participants in the competition and the thousands of our readers who voted in the online poll.
Please join us in congratulating Cantor Barry Braun and wishing him much success in his cantorial endeavors.
Mazaltov Barry – well deserved !
Chaverim:
Repertoire – excellent – Neshamo – excellent – Kavanah – excellent – interpretation – excellent! “ober mein tate hot gwzogt az er zingt tzi vais!’ I would like for Barry to indulge in singing ‘Arie Antique’ and to get with a good classical vocal teacher/coach so as to keep him from singing too white. [bianco] Overall the voice ‘lives’ longer when one covers the passagio and various other parts of the voice. Most professionals who have had promising careers universally agree with my analysis – not only of Barry but of anyone who wants to be able to sing cantorial or classical music when one turns 70 + . One can say this of Domingo and Luciano. How do I know this? I still daven for the umed for the Yamim Noraim and I concertize at 70+ with a better voice today than in my 40s – Baruch Hashem.
Well done Barry.
Kol hakavod, you deserve it.
Regards
Chilly