Harel Shachal
Clarinet, Composer
Harel Shachal is a clarinetist, composer, and ensemble leader whose work moves through Ottoman classical music, Arabic maqam, Andalusian repertoire, and contemporary composition. His musical language treats these traditions as living practices, bringing rigorous study together with arrangement, performance, and renewed cultural conversation.
As the founder and musical director of Musica Mizrach Ma'arav, he has built ensembles that open deep regional traditions to contemporary listeners without flattening their character. His work creates meeting points between Jewish, Arab, Turkish, and wider Middle Eastern sound worlds, with the clarinet carrying both ornament and breath at the center.
