Doron Toister was born on May 16, 1957, in
Durban, South Africa, where he grew up till the age of 3, when his father was being employed as an engineer in Durban's Municipality. Upon returning to Israel, his family lived in
Ramat Gan, where he spent his childhood and youth. At age of 5, he began studying music and piano with his mother, who was a music teacher. At the age of 6 began studying the cello, with renowned teacher professor Uzi Wiesel. In high school he attended the Thelma Yellin art school. During his military service (1975–1978) he played with the
Israel Defense Forces Chamber Quartet. During those years he also arranged string quartets and music for other various compositions. In 1979 he studied at the
University of Essen in Germany with the cellist professor
Maria Kliegel. where he also served in the
Chamber Orchestra of
Essen. In 1980–1984 he studied with the renowned cellist professor
János Starker at
Indiana University School of Music in the United States, where he also served as his teaching assistant. Over the years, he also studied jazz,
improvisation and theory with professor Zvi Keren, with professor
David Baker (Indiana University), and
musical arrangement and
orchestration with composer Menachem Wiesenberg. At 22, won third place of the International Cello Competition in
Geneva (1979). A year later won first prize in the international cello-piano duo competition of
Radio Paris (1980). Between 1985 and 1989 he served as the lead cellist of the Israeli Sinfonietta In
Be'er Sheva. During this time, under the guidance of the Rabbi of
Ben-Gurion University the renowned lecturer Rabbi Yechezkel Sofer, he became a Hozer Betshuva and
Chasid of
Chabad. Since one year after its inception (1989) to the present, Doron is the leading cellist of the
Rishon Lezion Symphony Orchestra and Israeli Opera Orchestra. Performed in many solo performances, recitals, concerts and festivals with orchestras in Israel and abroad. Since 2000, he focuses mainly on writing and with arrangements to various
musical ensembles. In April 2013 he was announced as the winner of the Minister of Culture's prize for Zionist art work in the music category. In their reasons the jury wrote: "This is an original work that brings to the world of symphonic orchestral word the sounds the Eastern European "nigun". "Combining Eastern European poetry with a colorful blend of symphonic orchestration is impressive and convincing". ==Works==