Benjamin Rawitz-Castel

Who was Benjamin Rawitz-Castel?

Benjamin Rawitz-Castel, was an Israeli classical pianist and piano teacher.

He was born and raised in Haifa. After graduation from the Donia Weizman Conservatoire of music in Haifa he continued his studies in Tel Aviv with Ilona Vincze, and at the Tel Aviv University and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He also settled and based his solo and chamber music career in Brussels. He performed in Europe, Israel, Japan and the Americas.

Among others, he played with clarinetist Donald L. Oehler and violists Jonathan Bagg and Sergiu Schwartz.

Rawitz was murdered in the course of a robbery, in the apartment where he lived in Brussels.

One of the murderers was the then 15-year old Junior Kabunda. On 20 September 2009 this Belgian of Congolese origin murdered his 1,5 year old daughter, the 79 year old grandmother of his girlfriend and tried to murder his girlfriend. He was put in custody. On December 20, 2010 Kabunda was sentenced to life imprisonment.