GRAZIANI, YITZHAK

GRAZIANI, YITZHAK (1924–2003), Israeli conductor, arranger, and composer. Born in Russe, Bulgaria, Graziani studied composition and conduction at the Academy of Music in Sofia. In 1948, he immigrated to Israel and for 12 years was the conductor of the Zaddikoff Choir, founding its children's choir. He was instrumental in founding the Kol Israel Light Orchestra and, from 1961 to his death was the conductor of the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra. He also conducted performances of many musicals, the Israeli Opera, and Israeli song festivals. Besides his conducting, Graziani arranged more than a thousand pieces and composed music for a few Israeli films such as Dalia ve-ha-Malakhim and Moishe Vintilator. (Uri (Erich) Toeplitz, Yohanan Boehm / Israela Stein (2nd ed.)