We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nir Tsfaty. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nir below.

Alright, Nir thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Honestly, every project I participate in is meaningful to me, so it’s pretty hard to choose a specific one. One of the most inspiring projects I’ve been working on recently is a soundtrack for a short film by Israeli director Yaniv Linton. Yaniv and I first met when he directed a music video for my previous band, Bell Always, in 2018, and we have kept in touch since – when I was still living in Israel and later after we moved to Australia.

About eight months ago, we started talking about writing the music for his upcoming short film. Naturally, the distance, time difference, and working remotely raised some concerns, but we’ve eventually decided to go for it.

The creative process was indeed challenging but very rewarding. At first, we spent most of the time searching for the right tone and character by trying different directions and approaches. Silence plays a big part in the film, so one of the challenges was writing music that is minimalist enough to preserve it and, at the same time, be present and meaningful. That part was very demanding, and I would find myself lost at times and creatively in total darkness. But the dialogue with Yaniv was so deep and rich, and the fact that we trusted each other and let each other lead brought us to find that world of sounds that we were looking for. We recorded the music two weeks ago, and we’re now in the final stages of finalising the soundtrack, which is very exciting.

The work on the music showed me again how deep the creative process can be and how far you can go with it. Going on this journey with someone makes it even more inspiring and meaningful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m a composer, songwriter and string arranger, originally from Israel, currently based in Melbourne, Australia.

I got into music at an early age, simply out of love for it, spending all my time listening to music, playing the guitar, writing songs and electronic music.
At 21, I went to study composition at The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, where I started my first band, Noria, with classmates Alon Peretz and Dotan Moshonov, joined by friends Noa Segal and Orri Dror. Together we have released an EP (Anthers, 2011) and an album (Clear Backgrounds, 2013).
A few years later, I started my second band — an alternative rock trio called Bell Always, with Alon Peretz and Kobi Aroussi. We had played together for four years and released an album (Daylight Slowly Fades, 2018) not long before I moved to Australia with my partner in 2019.

In Australia, my focus has been on my new work, About Whales — a concert series and upcoming album under the same name, which I perform in collaboration with Melbourne’s Invictus Quartet. This collaboration started in 2021 with two live videos and headline shows in the city, and we are just about to showcase our second project together, Under The Sun, later this year.

As a composer, I write music for film and advertising in Australia, working closely with Production Alley Studios in Melbourne and independently.
I have also taught music for about twelve years now, which I love doing and is an inseparable part of me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Above all, it would be exploring new ways of expression constantly. It is indeed a journey, and I love getting into a specific concept or idea, diving into it for a few years, and getting to its core. Whether it’s a five-piece band, a trio, or my current project with the string quartet, it always fascinates me to explore the possibilities within the specific instrumentation and what the instruments have to offer.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Oh, there are many. First of all, I feel lucky to be doing what I love most. It is a privilege. Also, collaborating and meeting people through creative work is priceless. You get to build meaningful relationships around music. You learn a lot about human nature. And creating something with a message(lyrical/emotional) that someone else can relate to or be touched by is a beautiful feeling. It never ends and goes into great depths. It’s the most beautiful thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nirtsfaty.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nirtsfaty
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nirtsfatymusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsuaJCIk5hvctUXSwNDoaQw
• Other: https://www.studio.nirtsfaty.com/

Image Credits
Pia Johnson, Roberts Birze, Aviv Luski, Lihi Markovich, Tyler Ridgeway, Josh Ratten