R. Carlos Nakai and Udi Bar-David

R. Carlos Nakai melds the haunting sounds of the Native American flute with the soulful expressiveness of the cello of Israeli-born Udi Bar-David. Native American, Jewish, Arabic, and Turkish melodies are presented in diverse arrangements and unified by two eclectic and iconoclastic artists who personify their respective peoples. The sweeping elegance of the cello both underscores and elevates the simple beauty of the Native American flute, wrapping it in a melodic fabric unequalled in Nakai’s prior collaborations.

R. Carlos Nakai

Of Navajo-Ute heritage, R. Carlos Nakai is the world’s premier performer of the Native American flute. Originally trained in classical trumpet and music theory, Nakai was given a traditional cedar flute as a gift and challenged to see what he could do with it. His first album, Changes, was released on the Canyon Records Productions label in 1983 and since then he has released over twenty more recordings with Canyon, selling nearly 4 million copies. In addition to his solo appearances throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, Nakai has worked with guitarist William Eaton, pianist Peter Kater, the classical ensemble Tos, Slack Key guitarist Keola Beamer, Tibetan flutist Nawang Khechog, and various symphonies, founded the classical jazz ensemble, Jackalope, and released an album, Island of Bows, with Win Travelin Band, a traditional Japanese ensemble from Kyoto. Nakai has received 4 Grammy® Awards nominations, and was awarded the only gold record ever presented to a traditional Native American artist. Nakai earned a Master’s Degree in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona. He was awarded the Arizona Governor’s Arts Award in 1992 and an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University in 1994. Nakai sees his role as a performer of the traditional flute not to reiterate the traditional sounds but to find new avenues of expression for the native cultures of America

Udi Bar-David

Udi Bar-David began his cello studies at the age of seven with Uzi Wiesel in Tel-Aviv, through funding of the American Israel Cultural foundation. He continued his studies at The Juilliard School with Leonard Rose, and later studied conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music with Max Rudolph.

Mr. Bar-David is an acclaimed soloist in Israel having performed with Israel's leading orchestras, recorded at the Jerusalem Music center founded by Pablo Casals, and toured the country as a member of the Israeli Army Quartet. In 1976, he won the International Villa Lobos Competition in Brazil. He has been Principal Cellist in the International Youth Orchestra, at Juilliard, in the National Orchestra of New York, and with the American Ballet Theatre. In addition, he has served on the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival. Winner of the 1984 WFLN Young Instrumentalist Competition, he has appeared as soloist with the Philly Pops under Peter Nero.

Mr. Bar-David was a member of the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, and became a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1987. He has been affiliated with Astral Artistic Services and the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity. He was featured in solo recitals of Spain and California, in a string quartet appearance on the TODAY show, and radio broadcasts with Network For New Music. Mr. Bar-David is a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra Board of Directors, and was the Artistic Coordinator for the Hear O Israel concert at the Core States Center. He has recently developed the Arab Jewish Musical Dialogue which brings artists of both cultures together on the same stage. He has performed chamber music with some of the leading soloists of our generation, such as Christoph Eschenbach, Jaime Laredo, Rudolph Buchbinder and Sarah Change.

He is also the founder of "Intercultural Journeys", a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia which is committed to producing performances, masterclasses, lectures, and other interactions that provide opportunities for musical dialogue and understanding among a variety of cultural traditions.

In early 2007, Mr. Bar-David will be presenting a series of Intercultural Journeys programs titled, “Middle Eastern Cultures in Perfect Harmony” with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has also created a series of cross-cultural events in Arizona, collaborating with such artists as R. Carlos Nakai, Nawang Khechog, Will Clipman and Radmilla Cody.

Press Photos

Tour Schedule

R. Carlos Nakai and Udi Bar-David have open availability.

R. Carlos Nakai Main Page

R. Carlos Nakai and Keola Beamer

Nakai, Eaton, and Clipman

R. Carlos Nakai Quartet