Israeli Pianist to Grace Gratz College

By Richard Caines

Pianist Rami Kleinstein will return to the Philadelphia area on April 25 for Israel’s 70th birthday, performing at the Gratz College Auditorium.

Kleinstein has been compared to both Elton John and Billy Joel, and is known for his captivating love songs and his way around a piano.

Kleinstein was born in New York in 1962 and made aliyah at the age of eight. He nurtured a love for classical music at a young age, perfecting his piano playing and working with a band while in high school.

He got his start by playing as a musician for the Israeli Army. There he met Israeli singer Rita, and they performed duos in the military service during the early 1980s.

In 1988, they married, and Kleinstein began to produce many of her songs. Rita became a major Israeli singer in her own right, although she and Kleinstein have since divorced.

In 1985, Kleinstein wrote the hit song “Od Lo Tamoo Kol Plaaich” and released his first solo album, The Day of the Bomb. The album went gold and received many weeks of radio play.

His next album would be released in 1989 and was titled, Over the Old Bridge. That proved to be a bridge to his third album in 1992 called Love Me/Ahavini.

Several other albums released in the next few years also were successful — including a triple platinum offering — and made him a star in Israel.

In 2012, Kleinstein was asked to be part of the Israeli version of The Voice. He was on the show’s first season, which was a ratings success.

A ninth album, titled Situatzia Morkevet, was released the same year as his mentoring spot on The Voice. He released Matanot Ktanot in 2014 and Anashim Tovim a year after that.

In 2016, Kleinstein toured with Israeli singer-songwriter Keren Peles in 2016 on a well-received tour. 

Richard Caines is a freelance writer.