‘a classical guitar ace’
Chris Spector, Midwest Record
‘Conversant interplay all throughout…Sublime.’
George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly (Stringscapes Fisher-Hertzog duo album review)
Yishai Fisher is a Classical Guitarist, versatile musician and an accomplished Music Educator.
Yishai has dedicated himself to making Jewish music and Jewish composers for guitar accessible to general public.
‘NeshamaGuitar’, His solo recital, is inspired by the musical heritage of the Jewish people. Through the pieces that he put together he found a way to tell a story of Jewish tradition in an inventive way. This musical journey between periods and types of music creates a rich picture of the guitar’s ‘Neshama’, meaning ‘Soul’ in Hebrew.
Yishai’s other major project is a collaboration with the gifted composer and guitarist Jake Hertzog. ‘StringScapes’ is a Nylon and Steel string guitar Duo, a unique fusion of the classical and the jazz world that pushes the boundary between composed and improvised music.
Their album, entitled "A Portrait of the World in Nylon and Steel" (out Dec 2018 by FretMonkey Records label) is a suite of four major works each with three movements that are inspired by the extreme landscapes on planet earth, all composed by Hertzog.
Born in Israel, Yishai grew up with a strong passion for music and at the age of 12 he began his life journey with the Classical Guitar.
Before settling in New York City, Yishai earned his Bachelor degree with honors in Guitar performance and Music ed from 'Levinsky Acadamy' in Tel Aviv with full performance scholarship, studying with prof. Joesph Urshalmi.
Later on, Yishai graduated the Master of Music performance program at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of guitarist David Leisner.
Yishai performed in master-classes with guitarists Oscar Ghiglia, Sharon Isbin, Ana Vidovic, 'SoloDuo’ and gave master classes in the university of Arkansas and Israel. Yishai was a finalist in the Israeli guitar competition ‘Solo Master’ (2007).
In tandem with career in performance, Yishai is an accomplished and devoted music educator. He developed an original method of teaching musical performance and theory, both instrumental and vocal using 'Active Listening’.