Class of 1996 Profile: David Homan

As part of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the YTI Class of 1996, YTI alumni are interviewing each other, discovering and recording what is happening in the lives of our YTI family today. If you are a member of the class of 1996, and would like to participate in this project, contact Sara Toering at sjtoering@gmail.com

David is interviewed here by Beth Kormanik Hubbuch.

David Homan is executive director of the American-Israel Cultural Foundation, which is Israel's largest private funder of the arts. Since 2006, under David’s tenure, AICF has raised more than $12 million and funded dozens of innovative programs and thousands of young artists.


David is also an active composer and pianist, and his work has been performed by the American Symphony Orchestra, University of Florida Orchestra, the Colorado String Quartet, at Carnegie Hall/Weill Hall, Merkin Hall, CAMI Hall, the Harmione Club, and Symphony Space. His music often involves societal context, including works focusing on Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, and other topical issues. His newest project features a classical/rock band called Eva that incorporates classic and modern poetry. He plans to release an album this year. He is a graduate of Bard College and received his master’s from New York University. He married Ariel Grossman in 2010.


In YTI, David found a place where he could talk with others about religion. It gave teens access to a wider world when typically they are limited to their hometown. “It cemented my interest in learning where different people come from,” he said. It also provided him a solid introduction to urban life, which “was pivotal to my path to New York.” While YTI was a positive experience, David is disappointed that YTI reverted to accepting only Christian scholars. To know Christianity, he said, you should know about the world’s religions, and YTI was a more enriching experience with people from different faiths.


David remains passionate about studying the world’s religions and how they intersect with politics. “The balance between politics and religion was why I was interested in YTI in the first place,” he said. “I hate how religion is used for political gain and power.” While David has never been religiously observant, he said he shows his beliefs in action, not by attending temple every week: “One’s temperament, where one grows up and what one chooses to do is more informing that what religion they are.”


Contact: homanmusic.com