In 2024, Bar Avni won the "La Maestra" competition in Paris, sweeping four additional prizes. This success led to a fruitful collaboration with the Paris Mozart Orchestra and Claire Gibault.
Born in Israel and trained as a percussionist, Bar Avni studied conducting with Yoav Talmi, Martin Sieghart, and Ulrich Windfuhr. From 2021 to 2024, she served as Chief Conductor of the Bayer Philharmoniker as part of her Bayer Kultur residency. Praised by Diapason for her dynamic presence and refined musicality, she thrives thanks to mentors such as Barbara Hannigan and Ayelet Geva. A key element of her artistry lies in programming – making bold choices and shaping concerts as complete, immersive experiences, much like designing a menu.
Her debut album "Symphonies in 3 movements" with the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine was released by Alpha Classics in February 2026 and pairs Charlotte Sohy, Darius Milhaud, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Igor Stravinsky. "It showcases a musician with fresh things to say about both programming and interpretation. (...) This is a unique collection, well worth exploring," Gramophone wrote of the album.
Bar Avni leads workshops in schools, hospitals, and corporate settings, viewing conducting as a powerful tool for communication – enhancing body awareness, nonverbal expression, and self-confidence. Together with musicians, she creates inclusive experiences that invite everyone to participate, without requiring any prior musical knowledge.
In the 2025/26 season, she premiered "The White Book" by Laura Bowler, with a text by Nobel laureate Han Kang, composed for and sung by Barbara Hannigan. The work is a co-commission by the London Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, and Copenhagen Philharmonic. She returned to the Orchestre de Paris, for a concert at the Philharmonie recorded live and available on replay on Arte and France Musique and conducted their annual concert under the pyramid of the Louvre.
Bar Avni has been named a 2026 Villa Albertine Artist in Residence, including a partnership with the Tanglewood Festival this August. In 2026/27, she is opening the season of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (with Sheku Kanneh-Mason), making her debuts with the Dresdner Philharmonie (with Vadim Gluzman), Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse (with Bertrand Chamayou), Vienna Radio Symphony (with Rafał Blechacz), the Royal Liverpool (with Jeneba Kanneh-Mason), conducting the finals of ARD competition with BR Munich and returning to Orchestre de Paris (with Midori) and Basel Chamber Orchestra (with Fazıl Say).