Gila Perach Hirsh
Gila Perach Hirsh was born in the US to an Israeli tennis athlete, also a Hebrew and Torah teacher, and to an American classical musician and school teacher. She is mother of a son Michael Jonathan, a former Vienna Choir Boy and now a young professional making a name in public international law.
Raised and educated in NY/NJ her earliest studies began at the Hebrew Academy. At Manhattan School of Music she studied piano performance with Ada Kopetz Korf and afterwards at Columbia University under Robert Pace she studied the art of teaching music and piano. Here Gila Perach directed and taught for the Columbia University Community Preparatory Piano Program K-12. She then continued her studies both in piano performance and pedagogy at the U of Colorado at Boulder where she served as a rehearsal pianist and as a university teaching assistant.
Gila Perach Hirsh came to Europe in her mid-20's to study composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. There she also continued her studies in concert piano iwith Gaby Casadesus and then in Vienna at the prestigious Academy of Music with Hans Petermandl as well as chamber music with Hans Kann.
In Vienna where she settled, Gila Perach Hirsh has worked as a rehearsal pianist for the Vienna State Opera as well as the Light Opera, the Vienna Academy of Music Academy as well as the Festspialhous in St Pölten. Gila Perach Hirsh has also given solo and chamber music concerts in the US; Europe and Asia. For many years she was closely associatd with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic musicians with whose members she performed in chamber music concert in various venues in Viennna and the provinces.
Gila Perach Hirsh is founder and director of Perach Piano Studios. Here musicians and singers of every level of accomplishment are trained as pianists, coached in vocal and instrumental repertoire and taught the language of music. Perach Piano Studios offers a complete and thorough 12 year program in music and the art of piano performance. Both students as well as accomplished musicians and singers are provided with opportunities for public performance.
'Born to teach' Gila Perach has brought her pedagogical talent and skills to various institutions. She has given courses and lectures at Columbia University, the University of Colorado at Boulder the Music Academy of Vienna and, more recently, since 2000, at Webster University campuses in Vienna and Thailan