New York City Based Musicians
Welcome to The Shuk Music Group, your gateway to the extraordinary world of top-end Israeli musicians and the premier Jewish band in New York City. Our talented ensemble of artists is set to take you on a musical journey like no other, and we're thrilled to have you here to explore our incredible performances and our amazing musicians below.
The Shuk's musicians are a diverse and passionate group, weaving the rich tapestry of Israeli and world Jewish music into the vibrant cultural fabric of the United States. Whether it's a thrilling concert, a heartwarming wedding, a captivating theater show, or a community event, our musicians bring their unmatched talent and energy to every stage.
Amit Peled
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Oud | Music Director
Amit Peled has been recording, performing, producing, and touring worldwide for well over a decade. With a degree in Jazz performance, he can stage dive with more grace than a dolphin.
He’s been fortunate enough to play in almost every musical scenario imaginable. From Jazz gigs to Oriental music along with the Oud. From sludge-stoner rock to Hardcore Klezmer as well as a lot of hip-hop, electronic, Avant-garde, and Jewish music.
Loves making music; Either on the road, being stuck in a van for weeks, or locked in the studio doing sessions until the sun shines.
Sees his biggest strength as a musician in that he always tries to make the present project sound the best.
A dynamic musician also performing on bass and keyboards and is also a producer, regularly arranging, transcribing, and song-writing.
Judah Gavra
Vocalist
Judah is an Israeli singer-songwriter based in New York City. In March 2018 Judah was a finalist in the San Marino Eurovision Song Contest Pre-selection after competing with his song "Stay" and was a finalist in the Israeli Eurovision Song Contest Pre-selection competing with his song "We're Beautiful" finishing in 3rd place among the public vote. After a period in New York, teaching music, dancing and acting in a Jewish summer camp, Judah found himself in 2006 in Israel again, planning to study performing arts in Israel. But then he got an unexpected phone call: his ex-commander from the Army, where he had served as a singer in the Rabanuth Choir, asked him if he would like to be a cantor in a synagogue in Brooklyn during Yom Kippur. The new visit led him to reconsider schools in the city. Judah auditioned at The American Music and Dramatic Academy and was awarded a sizable scholarship. After graduating from AMDA in February 2009 following two years of study, Judah performed in concerts and live performances on one of the most prestigious stages in the world such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, City Winery, Le Poisson Rouge, BB Kings in New York City. Performed all over the United States in musicals: "The Full Monty", "Aida", "Legally Blonde", "The Best Little...in Texas", "Kingdom", "The Tenth Floor" (NYMF 2010), "All American" (Off-Broadway), "A Christmas Carol", "Fade Out- Fade In" (Off-Broadway) and more. In May 2018 Judah performed in Africa's biggest Art Festival- HIFA in Harare, Zimbabwe where he sang in the grand opening ceremony and on the global stage with his one-man full-length show and received raving reviews. Judah has released four singles "Stay" (Eurovision '18), "Falling", "Stay" and "We're Beautiful" (Eurovision '13).
Eitan Gofman
Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards
Eitan Gofman is an Israeli saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and arranger who found his purpose in life at an early age with absolute certainty: changing and shaping people’s lives through music.
Eitan grew up in a supportive family and was exposed to music as a child. Later, as he reached a deeper understanding of various musical sounds, he found his voice in the tenor saxophone. Since then, remarkable sequences of events and people he has met along his musical journey have led him to the place he is today.
Eitan began his music education through the youth band in the Tel-Aviv Conservatory. At the age of 18, he served in the Israeli Official Army Orchestra as a leading saxophonist, arranger, and musical director. After completing three years of service, he spent a year at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and studied with the best jazz teachers in Israel, including Eli Benacot, Guri Agmon, Avi Adrian, and Mamelo Gaitenopoulos. That same year, he was awarded a full-tuition scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
Eitan relocated to the College in September 2011 and began full-time studies toward a bachelor’s degree in jazz composition. He has received the College’s prestigious Andy McGhee Award for Outstanding Saxophonist, played with the College’s top-tier bands, and studied with teachers such as Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi, Greg Hopkins, Phil Wilson, George Garzone, Shannon LeClaire, Frank Tiberi, and Ralph Peterson.
Eitan has performed as a leader and sideman with renowned artists such as Randy Brecker, Terry Lyne Carrington, Eddie Gomez, Gerald Clayton, Brian Bromberg, Julian Lage, Dave Liebman, and Antonio Sanchez. Some of the venues at which Eitan has performed include the Red Sea Jazz Festival, the Tri-C Jazz Festival, and the Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival; Wally’s Jazz Club, Scullers Jazz Club, the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston; and many more throughout the US and Europe. He was also the winner of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Jazz Scholarship for 2008-2009 and 2010-2011.
Eitan graduated from Berklee on August 2013 and then made his home in New York City.
Dani Danor
Drums, Percussion
Originally from Israel, Dani Danor has made a name for himself as a versatile drummer in the world’s most respected music scene - New York City. Since 2015, he has been performing with GRAMMY-nominated jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimée, touring extensively throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. Danor has performed in some of the most celebrated international jazz festivals including Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and Jazz in Marciac, as well as renowned jazz clubs worldwide such as Blue Note, Birdland, Jazz Standard, Ronnie Scott’s, Bimhuis, New Morning and The Cotton Club.
Additionally, Danor performed with other world-renowned jazz artists including Peter Bernstein, Rotem Sivan, as well as rock star Cinjun Tate, and legendary funk bass player Fred Thomas. As an established recording artist, Danor appears on over 30 albums, Including Cyrille Aimee’s ‘Live’ album (2018), which received critical praise from major publications including the Wall Street Journal, Jazz Times, and Downbeat Magazine.
Dani Danor is an endorser of Innovative Percussion drumsticks, as well as the recipient of scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship, NEC’s Beneficent Society, the Eubie Blake Foundation, and Zfunot Culture.
Daniel Meron
Keyboards, Piano
Through his music, Brooklyn-based pianist and composer Daniel Meron awakens listeners' own deepest desires and feelings. Born in Israel to a family of Egyptian and Syrian descent, Meron integrates his love for improvisation into original compositions that are both sophisticated and lyrical, rich with influences from Jazz, Middle-Eastern, and Latin American music. Meron’s multiple records have gained rave reviews from music critics and radio stations around the world.
For his forthcoming record (2024 Pinch Records), Daniel has gathered some of New York’s most innovative and distinguished jazz musicians: Drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. (Kenny Garrett, Kurt Rosenwinkle), bassist Tamir Shmerling (Terri Lyne Carrington, Kevin Eubanks), flutist Itai Kriss (Pedrito Martinez, Avishai Cohen) and tenorist Jonathan Greenstein (Omer Avital, Itamar Borochov). Having performed together over the past year, the band further explores that elusive and magical balance between the power of clarity and the excitement of spontaneity. Listening to Meron’s enchanting compositions played by such heavy-weight jazz improvisers provides a captivating experience both live and on the record.
Over the last decade, Meron has established himself as a prominent figure in the New York jazz scene, performing at venues such as Soho House, Mezzrow, and the Museum of Natural History, playing the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Costa Rica Jazz Festival, and touring Canada, Europe, and Israel. Daniel graduated from Berklee College of Music, where he was the winner of multiple scholarships and awards, and studied with masters such as Danilo Perez, Hal Crook, and Joe Lovano. Along with his activities as a bandleader, Daniel continues to record and perform with multiple bands such as Electric Pool, Bunnicula, and the Arnan Raz Band.
Growing up in Israel, Daniel started learning piano at the age of 8, gradually shifting his focus from classical music to pop, blues, and eventually jazz. Meron served as a chief musical director in the Israeli Army Performance Troupes and later received a scholarship to study at the Rimon School of Jazz. During that time Daniel performed at renowned Israeli venues such as the Levontin 7, Shablul Jazz, Givataim Theater, as well as on national television. He was a finalist in the Rimon Jazz Competition and participated in the Costa Rica Jazz Festival.
Ran Livneh
Bass Guitar
Israeli-born Ran Livneh is an acoustic and electric bassist, composer, and producer based in Brooklyn, NY.
He has recorded, arranged, performed, and toured with many world-renowned musicians such as Berry Sakharof, Liraz, Gili Yalo, Zozo Afrobeat, and more. Ran’s original compositions were presented at the 12th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art Festival, Rockaway Film Festival, and Museum of Wild Newfangled Art.
Born in Zikhron-Ya'aqov, Israel, Ran attended The Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem, where he studied double bass and received his Bachelor of Arts in Double Bass Classical Performance.
After moving to New York in 2012, Ran performed at Lincoln Center, Summer Stage, Pioneer Works, radio WNYC, radio KEXP as well as many other music festivals and venues.
Tamir Shmerling
Bass Guitar, Contrabass
Tamir Shmerling is a double and electric bass player from Ashkelon, Israel. He served as the bassist in the Israeli Defense Forces Orchestra from 2005 to 2008. After his service, he performed with the Tel Aviv and Holon big bands and studied at Rimon School of Music.
In 2008 Shmerling was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee. He has studied there with Hal Crook, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Terri Lyne Carrington, Greg Osby, Jamey Haddad, Alain Mallet, John Lockwood and Ed Tomassi.
Since his arrival to the US, he has also had the honor to perform with artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Kevin Eubanks, Jason Palmer, Adam Rogers, Nona Hendrix, Gretchen Parlato, Helen Sung, Ofer Ganor, Avishai Cohen, Ignacio Berroa, Jerome Sabbagh and many more. Tamir has been fortunate to perform at: Newport Jazz Festival; Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival; Toronto Jazz Festival; Montreal Jazz Festival; Small’s, Jazz Standard and the Fat Cat (NYC); Palau de les Art Reina Sofia (Valencia); Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.); Nuyorican (San Juan, Puerto Rico); the Beehive and Wally’s Jazz Cafe (Boston).
