ABOUT

Yair Amster is an Israeli contemporary drummer, percussionist and composer, specializing in World Music and Jazz styles.

Growing up in a Middle-Eastern cultural melting pot, Yair was exposed to and trained in a wide range of musical styles. With over 15 years of professional experience in the music industry, he has made bridging different musical cultures his artistic mission, and versatility, his business card.

As a proud alumni of the renowned Berklee Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Yair graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in Performance and Music Production & Engineering. Yair has shared the stage with artists such as Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, Mark Turner, Sam Yahel, Indian Ocean, David Gilmore, John Patitucci, Shadow & Light, Mulgrew Miller, Ofer Ganor, and The Berklee Indian Ensemble. Additionally, his global footprint includes performances at the Toronto Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Rostov on Don Jazz Festival, Safed Klezmer Festival, and Velenje Jazz Festival.

In addition to his studio experience as an audio engineer, mixer, producer, and session musician, Yair has taught over 200 students privately, and has given several workshops and clinics on topics including harmonic rhythm, the art of practice, and motive development.

Yair keeps pushing his musical boundaries both as a performer and a producer, employing years of experience studying genres and cultures from around the world while exploring new horizons.

Most recently, he has been working on a special project dedicated to the music of West Africa with Producer-Composer Nerya Zidon. Through a cross-continental journey, the project infuses traditional music of the region with modern Western production elements, with the intention of increasing the accessibility of the rich West-African culture and exposing it to new audiences.