Still Waters Run Deep

At the age of seventy-something, Nurit Galron is still going strong, performing across the country. For years now, she is a cultural icon, known for her thoughtful interpretation of poetry and her melancholic, introspective musical style.

Galron was born as Nurit Klimburd shortly after Israel's establishment, emerging from a difficult family background. Her father, who fought in Anders' Army, lost his first wife and a child in the Holocaust, and ended up working as a cashier in Israel. Her mother abandoned her own singing career when she had children. Her mother passed away when Galron was young and never had a chance to see her daughter fulfil her own dream of becoming a successful singer.

Initially, Nurit didn't aspire to become a singer. She studied theater and film at Tel Aviv University and sang merely to make a living. Though she would later act on stage, in films, and on television, her destiny lay primarily in music.

Like many Israeli performers, Galron's career began during her military service in the Golani Brigade Entertainment troupe in the early 1970s. A manager noticed her talent, changed her surname from Klimburd to the more Hebrew-sounding Galron, and launched her career.

Throughout the 1970s, she participated in various projects, including a show featuring Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis' songs translated into Hebrew, a tribute album to Leah Goldberg, and the children's song festival.

A worthy interpreter of lofty words

In Israeli popular music there's a distinct genre where composers set the works of well-known poets to music. Galron’s eponymous debut album, released in 1977, belongs to this genre. This melancholic collection showcased respected Hebrew poets and writers, earning critical acclaim and establishing Galron as a worthy interpreter.

Throughout her career, she collaborated with renowned composers like Moshe Wilensky, Sasha Argov, Matti Caspi, Shem Tov Levy, Yoni Rechter, Meir Ariel, and Shalom Hanoch, who set to music the words of top Hebrew literary figures including Avraham Shlonsky, Leah Goldberg, Yonatan Ratosh, Yaakov Shabtai, and many others, for Galron to sing. Her second studio album, for instance, was entirely dedicated to the poetry of Nathan Zach – a pioneer in Hebrew poetry and one of the most important Hebrew poets of the second half of the 20th century.

Reserved and quiet charm

Galron has worked with the country’s top composers, always adding new and young talent to her list of collaborators. Her musical versatility transcended genres—she released a live jazz album, participated in the Chassidic song festival, recorded classical music, and embarked on various unexpected projects. The 1980s marked her career peak, with seven studio albums and numerous other releases.

Though known for serious, often melancholic songs that became staples of Hebrew music and memorial ceremonies, her later 1980s albums adopted a more rock-oriented sound. But then too she remained true to her reserved and quiet charm. Married to broadcaster Rafi Reshef, Galron has three children and several grandchildren. Although her last studio album was released ten years ago, Galron continues playing live today.

In a culture often defined by its loudest voices, Galron's quiet persistence has carved out something more enduring—a singular space where poetry and melody merge without compromise. As she takes the stage today, her voice carries not just songs but the literary heartbeat of a nation, reminding us that some artists don't need to shout to be heard across decades. They simply need to mean what they sing.

For more, see the new edition of Beit Avi Chai’s live series of musical events, “A Song of Longing”, in which podcaster Maya Kosover will meet Nurit Galron for a performance and conversation about Galron’s early years. April 22 at 9pm, Beit Avi Chai (in Hebrew).>>

Main Photo: Nurit Galron by Yehudit Garinkol\ Wikipedia