MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Hillai Govreen is a clarinetist, saxophonist and composer based in New York.

Hillai Govreen has collaborated with a wide range of international musicians, including George Cables, Allison Miller, Arturo O’Farrill, Anat Cohen, George Colligan, Steve Cardenas, Joseph Pepe Danze, Gino Sitson, and Harold Rubin. She has toured across Europe, Israel, and the U.S., and has performed at notable New York venues such as Dizzy’s Club, Smalls, Mezzrow, Birdland, National Sawdust, and Ornithology. Hillai is an endorsing artist for P. Mauriat clarinets and saxophones. She graduated with honors from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2020, where she studied with renowned musicians like Anat Cohen, Chris Cheek, Tony Malaby, Billy Harper, Steve Cardenas, and Reggie Workman.

Born and raised in Israel, Hillai Govreen developed a passion for music early on. She started learning classical piano at the age of 6, and at 12, she took up the clarinet, studying under Professor Michael Gurfinkel.

During high school, Hillai was awarded musical scholarships from the American Israel Cultural Foundation for four consecutive years and played first clarinet in the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. She was also honored as an “Outstanding Musician” and received a full scholarship to study at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin.