NOA

With roots and upbringing spanning Yemen, Israel and the United States, Achinoam Nini aka Noa, is Israel’s most highly acclaimed international singer, songwriter, percussionist, speaker and activist.

Together with her longstanding musical collaborator Gil Dor, accomplished musician and co-founder of the Rimon School of music, Noa has released 16 critically acclaimed albums, performed hundreds of concerts the world over, graced some of the most important and prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall and the White House, and performed for three Popes. She has been produced and mentored by Pat Metheny and Quincy Jones and shared the stage with a long list of international musical icons, including Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli and Sting.

In addition to her prolific musical activity, Noa is considered Israel’s most prominent cultural advocate of dialogue and co-existence, her “Voice of Peace”.
Noa was the only major artists to agree to perform in the fateful Peace Rally where Yitzchak Rabin was murdered, a shattering event that changed her life. She was the first Jew to perform in the Vatican for an audience of millions, singing her own lyrics to Bach/Gounod’s Ave Maria, a song that has become an intrinsic part of her career and mission: building bridges and breaking walls between cultures and religions.
Among the endless activities she has been involved in to foster peace and dialogue, her historic participation the 2009 Eurovision song contest stands out, representing Israel together with Israeli-Palestinian artist Mira Awad with her original song “There must be another way”, in English, Hebrew and Arabic.
Noa’s lyrics and performance of the theme song of Roberto Benigni’s academy award winning film, “life is beautiful” have earned her international acclaim and the love and admiration of millions.

Among her many awards is Commander of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, one of Italy’s highest honors, Pilgrim of Peace from The Franciscan order in Assisi (awarded in the past to Bill Gates and Mother Theresa), and the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum. Noa is Israel’s first Ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and is active as board-member and public advocate of a score of Human Rights and Peace organizations in Israel and abroad.

Currently Noa dedicates much of her time to the relationship between cultural diplomacy and leadership and the Climate Crisis. She has been selected by Israel’s President Herzog to be part of the presidential Climate Forum, and is involved in a groundbreaking project related to the critical preservation of the unique coral reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat. She has also established her own festival, called Noa’s Ark that debuted in Italy summer of 2022 and plans to establish a foundation under the same name, Noa’s Ark Foundation, which will facilitate her work using arts and culture to propel social change.

Noa is married to Dr. Asher Barak. Together they have three children, Ayehli, Enea and Yum.