OPUS 5 Wind Quintet is comprised of five principal wind players from the Israel Symphony Orchestra. Praised for their innovative programming, passionate music making and distincitve approach to audience participation, they have performed concerts for audiences of all ages in major halls throughout Israel including Brigham Young Mormon University in Jerusalem, Tzavta Series in Tel Aviv, the Chamber Music Series in Rishon Lezion and for various other organizations and institutions.  In addition to their formal concerts, the group strives to build future audiences and make a lasting musical impact through school performances, master classes, workshops and family concerts. All five members of the ensemble are accomplished musicians who have performed in prestigious concert halls worldwide as soloists, chamber musicians and with the world's leading orchestras.  

 

Adi Menczel is currently Assistant Principal Flute and Principal Piccolo of the Israel Symphony Orchestra, and has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, among others. She has performed as soloist the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Players International, Israel Symphonette Raanana and Haifa Symphony. Adi was a winner of the New Jersey Symphony Competition, Artists International Auditions, National Flute Association Competition, New York Flute Club Competition and the Koussevitzky Competitions, performing recitals in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and many other important venues. She has presented educational performances and master classes through Lincoln Center Institute, Chamber Music America and Young Audiences of New York. Adi is the youngest ever flutist admitted to The Juilliard School, where she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. 

 

Michael Dressler has been Solo English Horn of the Israel Symphony Orchestra since 2021. Prior to this appointment he was Assistant Principal Oboe of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra for two seasons. He served as principal oboe of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra under Lucas Richman from 2015 - 2018. He was a member of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra under JoAnn Faletta from 2006 - 2014. Prior to that he was a full-time member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 2004-2006 and a finalist and frequent substitute with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. He has performed at many festivals including Aspen, National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, Tanglewood, Luzern, and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. He has worked with Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Mazel, Kurt Mazur, and Valery Gergiev. Michael Studied with Ralph Gomberg and John Ferrillo, former and current principal oboists of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Eugene Izotov, principal oboist of the San Francisco Symphony.

 

Keren Dvir is the Principal clarinetist of The Israel Symphony and Opera Orchestra since 2003, where she also plays with the orchestra's wind quintet. She performed with the Israel Defense Orchestra and with the West East Divan Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim. She is a graduate of the Thelma Yelin Arts High School, The Tel Aviv Music Academy, the Jerusalem Music Academy, and the Royal College of Music in London, where she a winner of the schools' competitions. She was also the winner of numerous scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

 

Bassoonist Gili Sharett, born and trained in Israel, maintains an active international career. She served in the IDF Orchestra and studied at Tel Aviv University before continuing her advanced musical training in the United States. She is a recipient of awards from the America–Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF). She has performed with leading orchestras in Israel and abroad, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion / The Israeli Opera, New York City Ballet, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New Jersey Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre, and New York City Opera, and has appeared with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Andrea Bocelli, Lauryn Hill, and Jon Batiste. As a chamber musician, she has appeared with Bang on a Can, Argento, Ariel Winds (member), Sylvan Winds, and the Quintet of the Americas, and is a member of Jazz and Classics for Change. Gili made her Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2004 and has been featured as a recitalist at the United Nations and the International Double Reed Society Conference. She has performed extensively on Broadway and with Encores! at New York City Center. Her summer festival appearances include the Verbier Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Bard Summerscape. Recording credits include The Light in the Piazza (Nonesuch, Grammy nomination), Broadway Carols for a Cure, projects on John Zorn’s Tzadik label, PBS Television’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs, and Virtual Birdland with Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University.

 

Sharon Polyak is the principal horn player of the Israel Symphony Orchestra. He is a recipient of the AICF Foundation and also of the Barenboim-Said Foundation scholarships. Sharon was a member of the East-West Divan Orchestra whose conductor is Daniel Barenboim. He played as a soloist with  this orchestra in the US, South America and in various festivals in Europe. He appeared as a soloist with the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra and with the Israel Chamber Orchestra. In December 2005 he collaborated with Daniel Barenboim in a chamber music concert in New York. He was also a member of the World Peace Orchestra with Valerie Gergiev conducting.