From the reasons given by the judges for awarding Ziv Cojocaru the 2015 Prime Minister's Award for Composers:

A multi-disciplinary musician whose vast experience as a conductor is the basis of his fascinating and original writing as a composer, who is well acquainted with the space of expression of the instruments to which he writes. His works are diverse and have a rich and well-formed language, with a multi-level expression ability, with beautiful tones, and impressive treatment of both the solo voices of the orchestra’s instruments and its full voice. A skilled composer with an original and colorful language, with a constant search for his own ways of expression and language. His work as a musical arranger is particularly noteworthy, in the links he creates in his writing between the different genres of music created in Israel.

Reviews For "Whence Comest Thou, Whither Wilt Thou Go" , Austria, May 2018

Kronen Zeitung / Culture Section, 9/5/2018, New music from Israel at the "Tontaum21" festival in Minoritensaal - Graz. Cross-Cultural sound rapture. Concert Review / Felix Jureček

“…Ziv Cojocaru focussed on impressionistic effects in “Whence Comest Thou, Whither Wilt Thou Go” : Tremolo glimmer, light‐brushed wind instruments splendour and  silhouettes of chords resulted in a veritable colour spectacle…”

Reviews For "Whence Comest Thou, Whither Wilt Thou Go" , Israel, April 2017

Ha'Aretz, 2/4/2017, Classical Music Review / Amir Mandel

״…The writing was tight and polished…״

 

 

Opus, 2/4/2017, Concert Review / Omer Shomroni
“…Beautiful orchestral colors…”

Reviews For “Links.Metamorphosis”, Germany, August 2015

Thuringische Landeszeitung, Berlin, 04.08.2015 : Young Philharmonic Orchestra Jerusalem-Weimar, German-Israeli sound

“… A clear traditionally enshrined orchestral language attracted the listeners … enhanced through polyphonic and form decorations…The structures’ overview enabled easier orientation within and the stringent increase towards the final effect,mobilized the expecting audience’s attention …”.

Judische Algemeine, Berlin, 07.08.2015 : Music instead of Politics

“The 10 minutes work of the Israeli composer Ziv Cojocaru named “Links.Metamorphosis” set the evening’s tone. His spherical mixture of different music genres worked as an allegory of new futuristic ties between Germany and Israel,just as the young orchestra strives for.”

Kulturradio, Konzerthaus Berlin, 07.08.2015 : Young Euro Classic

“A successful opening concert with the Young Philharmonic Orchestra Jerusalem-weimar… the evening opened with the pleasing contemporary music composed by Ziv Cojocaru…”

Der Tagesspiegel, 08.08.2015 : Romeo,where is your fire?

“… At the opening, a brand new composition was played. This was a 2015 written composition “Links.Metamorphosis” by the Israeli Ziv Cojocaru. It was a strong beginning for the Festival Euro Classic. The composition never rests, motivic cells chain themselves ,processing themselves and changing thereby their character. Glissandi by the strings spread up and away and a chromatic nervousness and excitement hovers above them all … it was an enjoyable piece …”

 

Reviews For Ensemble Meitar & Eran Zur Project , 2013

Calcalist, 17/2/2013, Album Review : Eran Zur and the Meitar Ensemble / Guy Benyovitch

“ Eran Zur joins the Meitar Ensemble and produces with the conductor and arranger Ziv Cojocaru a new texture for his songs… An album that respects Zur’s music״

Habama, 29/7/2013, Eran Zur and the Meitar Ensemble / Amos Oren

“…The sound warmth created by the ensemble takes Zur’s songs to new heights and exposes them to deeper layers.”

Globes, 31/1/2013, Concert Review / Tal Pery, Omer Shomrony, Hagit Peleg

“…A successful artistic composition, born as part of the piano festival events under the musical direction of Ziv Cojocaru. A must for  Eran Zur’s fans in particular and lovers of quality music in general.”

Wala, 5/4/2013, Album reviews / Nadav Menuhin

״…The ensemble’s free arrangements (of the conductor Ziv Cojocaru) were able to respect the songs and melodies that are so beautiful, taking them into dreamy areas, fairy-tale forests, places where Zur’s words were always sought but his rock never visited them. All this without overshadowing it as a performer …״

Harsonsky Music, July 2013, Single reviews / Yosi Harsonsky

“…Ziv Cojocaru’s arrangements for Meitar Ensemble emphasizes the timeless qualities of the songs in Zur’s full-blown theatrical performance…”

TheMarker Cafe, 6/4/2013, Meitar Ensemble & Eran Zur – Concert review / Gadi Livne

“…With great performance to powerful songs, you can not be mistaken. So intimate. So precise and natural. So true. This evening, it was both exciting and delightful, and the credit for this comes, of course, to the Meitar Ensemble and to the conductor Ziv Cojocaru, who wrote these wonderful orchestral arrangements…”

More Reviews

TheMarker Cafe, 14/11/2010, Harel Skaat & Raanana Simphonette – Concert review / Elad Naim

“… Ziv Cojocaru as conductor and arranger did a great job … Cojocaru superbly conducts the orchestra, creating exciting and special arrangements for the familiar songs, combining some of the best classical works in them, and the arrangements thoroughly exhaust the use of all the elements of the orchestra … Excellent performance of a singer in the full sense of the word accompanied by spectacular orchestrations. Do not miss!”