Moshe Wilensky

Moshe Wilensky playing piano, entertaining people in DP camps in Cyprus (ca. 1947–48) Moshe Wilensky (, also, "Vilensky"; 17 April 1910 – 2 January 1997) was a Polish-Israeli composer, lyricist, and pianist. He is considered a "pioneer of Israeli song" and one of Israel's leading composers, and was a winner of the 1983 Israel Prize, the state's highest honor.

Life Wilensky, who was Jewish, was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1910, the son of Zelig and Henia (née Liebman). He studied music at the Warsaw Conservatory in Warsaw, specializing in conducting and composition, and immigrated to Palestine in 1932.

Music career A pianist and composer, Wilensky wrote music for theaters and musical troupes of the Israel Defense Forces, including the Nahal choir in the 1950s. He worked with the Kol Yisrael orchestra. Among his songs are "Kalaniyot" ("Anemones"), "Hayu Zmanim" ("In Those Times)", "Autumn," "Ring Twice and Wait," "Each Day I Lose," "The Last Battle", and "Mul Har Sinai" ("Opposite Mt. Sinai"). He wrote music for many of Natan Alterman's poems.

In 1983, Wilensky was awarded the Israel Prize, for Hebrew song (melody). In 1990, a special concert in honor of his 80th birthday was given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2005, Vilenski was voted the 187th-greatest Israeli of all time in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet.