Gary Bertini was born Shloyme Golergant in Briceva, Bessarabia. Gary stu- died music at the Music Teachers' College in Tel Aviv and then in Milan, Italy, and at the Paris Conservatoire. Gary Bertini established Rinat (the Israel Chamber Choir) in 1955. He was musical advisor to the Batsheva Dance Company and composed in- cidental music for numerous productions of Habima, the Israel national theater, and the Cameri Theatre. He founded the Israel Chamber Orchestra in 1965 and was its conductor until 1975. He was the music director of the Israeli opera between the years 1988-1997. In 1976 he conducted the world premiere of Josef Tal's Ashmedai at the Hamburg State Opera. Bertini was conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 1978 to 1986. He was also the artistic director of the Israeli Opera from 1988 to1997. He pro- moted Israeli music andhelped shape it. Bertini's work also took him outside Israel. He wasmusic advisor to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1981 to 1983 and the Principal Conductor of the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1983 until 1991. He also served as general music director of the Open- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt from 1987 to 1990, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2005, and, just before he died, direc- tor of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples.