David Sirkis
Biography David Sirkis
David Sirkis
is an Israeli drummer and composer based in Tel Aviv and NYC. Since his return to Tel Aviv due to the covid-19 outbreak, Sirkis established himself as one of the most in-demand drummers and bandleaders in Israel, performing regularly at high-end festivals and venues, with world-renowned jazz musicians such as Shai Maestro, Yonatan Voltzok, Barak Mori and more.
Sirkis attended Thelma Yellin School for the Arts for high school. During his junior year, he was selected to participate in the prestigious “Berklee Summer Jazz Workshop” Program, led by Terri Lynn Carrington and Rick DiMuzzio, with a full residential scholarship. The chosen participants were divided into 2 bands and got to perform around Boston as well as recording their original music at Berklee’s professional studios. In his years at Thelma Yellin, Sirkis was fortunate to go on two different tours with the representative band of the school in Germany and San Diego. He has also received excellence scholarships from the “America-Israel Cultural Foundation” in 2013 extending through 2020.
After graduating, Sirkis started his service in the Israel Defence Forces under the distinction of “Outstanding Musician,” as well as studying in The Center of Jazz Studies in Tel Aviv.
After moving to New York in August 2018 in order to finish his bachelor degree in jazz performance at the “New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music”, Sirkis quickly became an active player in the local scene, playing in multiple venues and bands, including a residency at Fat Cat jazz club with trumpeter Don Hahn, who has worked with Buddy Rich, Manyard Ferguson and many more earlier in his career. As a result of covid-19 outbreak in 2020, Sirkis has moved back to Tel Aviv and is now one of the most important and on-demand drummers in the country, playing almost every night with the top of Israel's jazz artists, such as Shai Maestro, Barak Mori, Amit Friedman, Yonatan Voltzok, Gilad Ronen, and many more.
“As an educator and bassist who has worked with Al Foster, Bill Stewart, and Brian Blade, I am in a unique position of being able to judge the talents of rhythm section players. David Sirkis is one of the most gifted musicians I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He goes above and beyond the call, like Al, Bill and Brian”. (Doug Weiss)
