Posted on 07/05/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Avi Piamenta, one of the leading figures in Jewish music in recent decades, passed away on Friday evening at the age of 69.
Piamenta, known for his skilled playing of the flute, died suddenly while in New York to mark the anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's passing.
Born in 1956 in Jerusalem to a traditional family, Piamenta grew up in a secular environment. As a child, he began studying piano and flute, the instrument that became his musical trademark. At the age of 17, he joined his older brother Yossi, a pioneering guitarist, and the two began performing together in concerts.
After the Yom Kippur War, the brothers founded the "Piamenta Band," which achieved great success and brought Jewish-hasidic music to wider audiences. The band was considered a pioneer in modern Jewish music and influenced an entire generation of Jewish musicians.
Over the years, Piamenta became closer to the Chabad-Lubavitch hasidic sect, and his brother followed suit. The family moved to the Crown Heights neighborhood in New York, near the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters. There, Piamenta developed a personal relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe and became a central figure in the movement's musical scene.
Piamenta played at numerous Chabad celebrations and major events, including the Simchat Beit Hashoeva celebrations in Crown Heights and Lag Ba'omer parades. One of his memorable performances was at the "Didan Natzach" event in 1987.
In the early 1990s, his brother Yossi returned to Israel, and Avi followed, settling in Kfar Chabad. There, he continued to perform at weddings and hasidic events, becoming a well-known figure in Israel.
In the last week of his life, Piamenta was in New York for the anniversary of the Rebbe's passing. Last Sunday, he performed at a children's event at the Chabad center, and on Friday evening, he passed away suddenly.
Piamenta is survived by his wife, as well as seven children who live in the United States, Mexico, and Nicaragua, and many grandchildren who follow in his footsteps.