One of Israel's leading baritones, Raphael Frieder is a renowned cantor and performer of opera, classical Jewish and Israeli music. He is currently the Cantor of Temple Israel of Great Neck, New York where he has served since 1991. Cantor Frieder has toured extensively in Israel, Europe, and the U.S., appearing in venues from Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and Tel Aviv's Mann Auditorium. He has worked with some of the world's leading conductors, including Zubin Mehta and Roger Norrington, and was selected by Leonard Bernstein to perform the world premiere of one his last works, "Arias and Barcaroles."
A featured soloist for the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music on the Naxos label, Cantor Frieder has also made numerous recordings for Israel National Radio, appeared on many television programs in Israel and the U.S., and played the role of the Cantor in the hit film "Keeping The Faith." He has performed with the New Israeli Opera, the Israeli Philharmonic, and other major orchestras in Israel. He is a frequent guest soloist in the Yuval choir and the Israeli Philharmonic orchestra Chazzanut concert series.
Cantor Frieder received his degrees in voice and choral conducting at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and continued his studies in London. He teaches Chazzanut at the H.L. Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and has taught at the Academy of Jewish Religion in New York. His CD "Ha'azinah!" was recently released to critical acclaim.