SOFIA MAZAR is the co-founder and artistic director of JIOM (Jerusalem International Opera Master-Class), a vocal coach and a pianist. Dr. Sofia Mazar is one of the leading figures in the field of Italian and Russian Opera in Israel. She is an assistant professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she was granted the Europe Forum’s award for researching Italian Opera of Ottocento. Sofia is a vocal coach at the Music & Dance Academy in Jerusalem (since 1997) and at the New Israeli Opera. Dr. Mazar has participated in the Israeli Festival and played with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva. She has also initiated many music festivalsand masterclasses, and performed regularly in recitals in Italy, Israel, Russia, Belgium as well as Moscow International House of Music, Turin University, Brüssel Museum, Ramat Gan Theater etc.