The Israeli clarinetist Nur Ben Shalom performs regularly across Europe both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, giving concerts in a wide range of musical venues and festivals, including the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Musikverein Wien, the Lucerne Festival, the Richard-Wagner Festival, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, the German Parliament and many others.

Nur began learning the clarinet in Tel Aviv at the age of eleven, with his teachers Eva Wasserman and his mentor, Prof. Izhak Katap. He later continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin with Prof. Diethelm Kühn.

From an early age, Nur performed as a soloist with different orchestras and collaborated with many musicians and artists, including Ivry Gitlis, Karl Leister, Tabea Zimmermann, Isabel Karajan and Iris Berben.

In 2022 Nur was the first to receive a prize and a special award from the David Shallon Foundation by the decision of the violist Tabea Zimmermann. 

Together with Berlin Philharmonic leader violinist Christophe Horak, the violist Francesca Zappa and the pianist Yannick van de Velde, Nur established the Nimrod Ensemble. This busy chamber music group gives concerts regularly and participates in TV, Radio, and media productions.

Nur is also the founder and the artistic director of the Lebensmelodien Project, established with Michael Raddatz and the Kirchenkreis Tempelhof-Schöneberg. The project aims to revive and highlight Jewish melodies and musical pieces composed, sung, or played between 1933 and 1945, bringing them back into modern cultural discourse. The project includes research on historical works, live performances in acclaimed classical venues, as well as in synagogues, churches, and Muslim centers. Another important part of the project is the educational program for schools and youth, which has reached an outstanding number of partners.

Nur has been involved in various other interdisciplinary projects, such as an ensemble of oriental and classical instruments with Muslim and Jewish members who “wander” between diverse European and Middle Eastern musical cultures, celebrating their cultural originality and reflecting commonalities and the inspiring possibilities for harmony between them.

Nur is also a member of the Erde Clarinet Quartet, which aims to enlarge the contemporary repertoire for clarinet quartets and present a new sound format for concerts.

Nur’s musical and cultural engagements are appreciated and recognized by several organizations and leaders, including the German chancellors, the President of Germany, the President of the Bundestag, Pope Francis, and others.

Nur plays on Schwenk and Seggelke clarinets.