Amos Elkana is an award-winning composer, guitarist, and electronic musician whose work moves between chamber music, orchestral writing, live electronics, text, memory, and sound. Born in Boston in 1967 and raised in Jerusalem, he began playing electric guitar at the age of 15. In 1987 he returned to Boston to study jazz guitar at the Berklee College of Music and composition at the New England Conservatory. He later completed an MFA in electronic music at Bard College.
His recent albums — Que sais-je? (New Focus Recordings, 2025) and Gefunden (NEOS, 2025) — present his latest work in chamber, solo, and electroacoustic composition. Que sais-je? is a 64-minute work for ensemble, electronics, and voices, interweaving philosophical texts and archival recordings into an immersive sonic landscape.
"He writes worthwhile and original music that is independent of fashion… a mature composer, very convincing and sensible."
— György Kurtág, composer
"Amos Elkana has developed into a remarkable composer whose works display great spirit and individuality… a composer of great achievement and promise."
— Pauline Oliveros, Distinguished Professor of Music
"A high professional intellectual standard which enables him to formulate musically his imagination in the world of tones."
— Josef Tal, composer
"One of Israel's most unique and influential composers… a model composer in terms of his approach to sound-space-duration."
— Prof. Boaz ben-Moshe, Dean, Faculty of Composition, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance
A full catalogue of compositions is available at amoselkana.com/works.
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