Rilli Willow

Singer, Writer, Actress, Composer

Born in Jerusalem
Lives in Berlin

 

photo: Meiko Herrmann

Awards:

  • 2006 and 2009: Winner of the Ehud Manor Prize 

  • 2017: Winner of the OGAEvision Song Contest

Education:

  • Classical vocal training in the Ankor Choir

  • 2001: Acting diploma from the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio, Tel Aviv, Israel

  • 2012: Journalism studies at Abudi School, Tel Aviv

Ensembles:

  • Since 2015: Member of the band Dee Auster Bunny with Benedikt Bindewald

  • 2013: Member of the SPHENOID ensemble of the Contemporary Opera Berlin

  • From age 10: Member of the Ankor Choir, partly as a soloist, with performances worldwide, including collaborations with Claudio Abbado, Kurt Masur, Luciano Berio, and Zubin Mehta

Jury Membership:

  • 2006–2010: Jury member of the Israeli Theatre Prize

Own Music Theatre Works:

  • 2023/24: “HaMangenon shel Molly” (The Molly Mechanism)
    Monodrama inspired by Molly Drake, directed together with Ricki Hayut and Benedikt Bindewald at the Tmuna Theater, Tel Aviv

  • 2022: “Sharot Mahapecha” (She Sings the Revolution)
    A programme featuring songs from 100 years of feminism, with works by Nadia Boulanger, Ethel Smyth, Tracy Chapman, Gretchen Peters, Janis Ian, and others

  • 2021: “Bein HaShurot” (Between the Lines)
    A narrative song evening with major songwriters from the 60s and 70s, including Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel

  • 2008: “Mai-nafka-Mina”
    Music theatre show with Israeli actor Nadav Bosem (Direction, Singing, and Acting by Rilli Willow)

Important Performances:

  • 2019: Manos Tsangaris, “Tiny and the Elephant”, Academy of Arts, Berlin (May 2019)

  • 2015: Performance of the German and Israeli anthems at the opening ceremony of the Maccabi Games at the Berlin Waldbühne

  • 2013: “Sphenoid” by Andreas Rochholl, Contemporary Opera Berlin, Parochialkirche Berlin

  • 2003–2004: Touring in a duo with Israel Gurion

Film:

  • 2014: Sutura with the Contemporary Opera Berlin (Acting role)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y1_6DBG9xg

Documentaries about Rilli Willow:

  • 2015: “Liebe trotz allem” (ZDF – German TV)

  • 2015: “Auf immer verbunden” (Deutsche Welle)

Own Songs:

  • 2025: Clara       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciUTr5oU0cs

  • 2023: I Am Not Your God

  • 2023: Chocolate Nails

  • 2022: The Band

  • 2022: Lavender

  • 2022: Castle White

  • 2021: Door

  • 2020: Exhibit R

  • 2013: Hitpatzlut

  • 2013: Lehitraot

  • 2012: Havana (Verstehen)

  • 2011: Tmurot          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhkBkj4T2b4

  • 2010:  Album Kitat Ro’im      https://deeausterbunny.com/album-kitat-roim/

CD Release:

  • Sabrina Ma: “Playtime!” featuring the song “Havana (Verstehen)”

Journalistic Work:

  • 2014–2016: Own column in the Israeli magazine “The Hottest Place in Hell” and contributions to various other Israeli publication