Kobi Arad
Kobi Yakob Arad (Hebrew: קובי ארד‎; born: October 2, 1981) is an Israeli-born American jazz pianist, composer, and music producer. He is known for being the pianist, vocalist, and bandleader of the Kobi Arad Band. He has won a Hollywood Music in Media (HMMA) Award and an Independent Music Award, both for his work as a solo artist and as part of the Kobi Arad Band. He has collaborated with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Cindy and Carlos Santana, Jack DeJohnette, and Roy Ayers. Early life and education Arad was born on October 2, 1981 and raised in Haifa, Israel. He earned his bachelor's degree at Tel Aviv University and became the first musician to earn a doctorate in contemporary improvisation and third stream from the New England Conservatory of Music. Career While living in Israel, Arad participated as a keyboardist in a trio with Asaf Sirkis and Gabriel Mayer in the 1990s. Arad also collaborated with Stevie Wonder and his manager Stephanie Andrews at the Berklee Performance Center in 2005. Arad released his album Sparks of Understanding in 2009, which featured an appearance from drummer Bob Moses. Arad collaborated with recording engineer Robert Margouleff on The Experience Project in