About Gilad
Gilad Ben-Zvi is an Israeli-born composer and guitarist who has called New York home and is currently based in Tampa, Florida.
His musical journey spans classical training, rock, jazz, world music, classic, and beyond — rooted in a deep love for blending tradition with something genuinely new.
Gilad earned his undergraduate degree in classical guitar performance at the University of South Florida, where he made history as the first guitarist ever to receive the Guitar Area Merit Award. Before that, he studied at Rimon – School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Israel, immersing himself in four years of jazz and performance studies before becoming an active presence in Israel's live music scene, playing alongside some of the country's foremost musicians.
In the summer of 2005, Gilad moved to New York and co-founded the acoustic guitar duo Isra-Alien with Oren Neiman.
Together they craft original music infused with Mediterranean, Gypsy, Balkan, and Eastern European flavors — music that feels both ancient and alive.
The duo has released three albums — Isra-Alien (2009), Somewhere Is Here (2012), and Found in Translation (2018) — and has toured across four continents, from Europe and South America to North America and Asia. Along the way, they've collaborated with luminaries of the Klezmer world, including New York's beloved Klezmatics and Brazilian musician Nicole Borger in São Paulo.
Gilad was also an Artist-in-Residence at the Makor artists program of the 92nd Street Y from 2005 to 2007.
His compositional voice ranges widely — from Circus (for grade 1 band) and The Audrey Hepburn Smile (for acoustic guitar duo) to Who's Looking? (for electric guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums), The Shofar Blower (for flute and marimba), and I Had a Dream (for guitar and electronics).
In November 2023, Gilad released Classteel — a solo acoustic guitar album featuring ten beloved classical pieces spanning the baroque to modern contemporary eras, plus one original, all freshly arranged and performed with a distinctly modern sensibility.
June 2026 brings his latest release: the EP Once a Day — a spirited collection of original material blending rock, funk, and world music for electric guitar with a full four-piece band (drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar).
And there's more on the horizon.
Gilad is currently at work on a second solo album, Alone Again — 12 original and reimagined pieces, set for release by the end of 2026.
When he's not writing or performing, Gilad is home in Tampa with his two children, Aidan and Eva — at least for now.