Ira Givol likes Bach and NBA basketball. he truly wishes there was a way to combine these two passions other than practicing Bach in front of a basketball game. 

 

Ira thinks that good active musicians do not need a conductor unless the conductor’s name is Carlos Kleiber or Nicolaus Harnoncourt. 

 

As an adolescent, Ira used to listen to the Beatles over and over again, which makes it  rather surprising that he became a classical musician.

 

Considering that the first classical cello recordings he heard were of Paul Tortelier ( Bach), and Jaqueline Du Pre ( Elgar concerto), it is curious that he decided to explore the field of historical performance practice. 

 

The first time his mother took him to the cinema was in 1993 to the film “Tous les Matins du Monde” which might explain his desire to learn the viola da gamba. 

 

Being one of four brothers can shed a light on his competitive nature.  It did come in handy in winning several  international  chamber music competitions.

 

Classical concerts can be awfully boring, isn’t that a shame? I do try to change it when possible.

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What would he do without coffee in the morning?