In Brief -

Jochewed Schwarz is an Israeli harpsichordist, clavichordist, and fortepianist whose repertoire spans from early seventeenth-century keyboard and chamber music to works of the early nineteenth century, alongside contemporary pieces written for her. She performs regularly in Israel and across Europe as both a soloist and chamber musician.

Her current collaborations include DuoChord with Irish harpsichordist Emer Buckley and a duo partnership with British flautist and recorder player Ashley Solomon; their concerts and recordings have been warmly received by audiences and critics.

Schwarz studied at the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, now part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). She holds a PhD from the University of Haifa, Faculty of Humanities, School of Arts, Culture and Hermeneutics, where her research focuses on the history and performance culture of the harpsichord in the twentieth century.

Her recordings include Bach Unbound: Fantasias for solo harpsichord, DuoChord’s C. P. E. Bach trio sonatas project, and the six sonatas by J. C. F. Bach with Ashley Solomon. She is also featured on DuoChord’s recordings of J. S. Bach’s organ trio sonatas and Couperin’s Les Nations, as well as on award-winning recording of Telemann flute sonatas.

Schwarz also holds an LL.B. from Bar-Ilan University and is a qualified lawyer and mediator.

In Depth -

Jochewed Schwarz is an Israeli harpsichordist, clavichordist, and fortepianist who appears regularly in Israel and across Europe, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. Her repertoire ranges from early seventeenth-century keyboard and chamber music to works of the early nineteenth century, and includes contemporary pieces written especially for her.

Schwarz studied at the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University, graduating with a Bachelor of Music. She continued her studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, now part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), where she earned a Master’s degree in Early Music. She holds a PhD from the University of Haifa (Faculty of Humanities, School of Arts, Culture and Hermeneutics).

She also studied law at Bar-Ilan University while continuing to perform and teach, passed the Israeli Bar Examination, and is a qualified lawyer and mediator.

Schwarz has received scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation and the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Scholars and Artists, won artist prizes twice from the Paul and Renée Eisen-Picard Foundation in Switzerland, and in 2011 was awarded the Israeli Artist Residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris by the Ministry of Culture.

Alongside her concert work, she has been artistic director of the chamber series Sounds and Colors and Sounds and Words. In recent years her duo projects — DuoChord with harpsichordist Emer Buckley and a collaboration with British flautist and recorder player Ashley Solomon — have drawn particular notice; their programmes and recordings have been warmly received.

She taught at the Buchmann–Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University and later served as director of the Felicja Blumental Music Center and Library in Tel Aviv. She continues to be invited for guest lectures and masterclasses internationally. She now chairs the Joachim Stutschewsky Trust, which oversees the publication of the composer’s musical estate.

Her discography ranges from early recordings of Telemann flute sonatas (Meridian, prize-winning 1992/93) and DuoChord’s Bach and Couperin projects (JS Records, 2012; Toccata Classics, 2014/2016), as well as numerous studio recordings for Israel’s classical radio, to more recent releases, including Bach Unbound: Fantasias for solo harpsichord, DuoChord’s recording of C. P. E. Bach trio sonatas for two harpsichords (JS Records, 2024), and J. C. F. Bach’s six sonatas for flute and keyboard with Ashley Solomon (Meridian, 2024).

Critics have praised her artistry: “Schwarz possesses a natural feeling for rubato… combining virtuosity with control of the harpsichord” (Noam Ben-Ze’ev, Haaretz); “Buckley and Schwarz demonstrate not only skill and imagination, but also courage and critical judgement” (David Chung, Early Music); “Masters of historically informed music-making… (Solomon and Schwarz are) revealing the narrative and enigmas that emerge from Bach’s music” (Pamela Hickman); and “In Jochewed Schwarz’s hands, the keyboard sound has a fine range of colours and subtlety” (Robert Hugill, 2024).