Avi Avital is an Israeli virtuoso mandolinist known for his passionate interpretations of Baroque, contemporary, and folk music. Also a dedicated advocate for the instrument, his life goal is to expand the mandolin's repertoire, develop its technique, and challenge its preconceived limitations. He was born in Be'er Sheva, Israel, in 1978, and he started learning the mandolin at eight years old. Avital soon began performing with the local mandolin youth orchestra led by Simcha Nathanson, who was a trained violinist and self-taught on the mandolin. Later, Avital attended the Jer...