BLASS, Noa

Noa Blass was an Israeli musician, composer, educator, and writer who achieved widespread recognition for her pioneering contributions to music therapy and music education. Born in Tel Aviv, Blass pursued her passion for music at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, where she studied piano, flute, and composition. Driven by an interest in the deeper psychological and healing properties of sound, she later completed a PhD dissertation focused on therapeutic counseling. She developed a ground-breaking approach to music therapy designed to make musical education accessible to children with learning disabilities and individuals with severe mental retardation. Her methods integrated yoga through sound and alternative teaching techniques to promote emotional healing and rehabilitation. Her educational frameworks gained official recognition and remain in use across schools and therapeutic centers in Israel. Her work spans several genres, including unique, meditative pieces written for gongs and bells. Her compositions have been featured at international festivals in Israel, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the former Yugoslavia. Notable scored works include Five Songs on Verses by E. Dickinson (voice and piano), Had gadya (clarinet, piano, trombone, bassoon, timpani, and narrator), and Recitative (solo trombone).