Warner Music Group has opened an office in Israel. The new recorded music affiliate is headed by Mariah Mochiach, a veteran of the Israeli music industry and longtime conduit to the local scene who’s held A&R positions, managed artists and served as a liaison and consultant for such labels as Beggars Group, Domino Recordings and Kobalt Music Group, among others.
Warner Music Israel, based in Tel Aviv, will locally market and promote artists from the WMG roster — Anitta, Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Coldplay, David Guetta, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Paulo Londra, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Saweetie are listed in the release announcing the news — as well as local signings.
Recorded music revenue in Israel saw a rise of 10.2% in 2021, per the latest report by industry trade group IFPI, and international music companies have taken notice, with Live Nation and Universal Music Group opening Tel Aviv outposts in recent years. Considering the global COVID pandemic and the absence of major tours, it’s a formidable bump. And superstar artists are returning to the country, routing a Tel Aviv stop among tour dates in the region. This month, Maroon 5 played two shows in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park, and Justin Bieber is set to perform there in October.
At Warner, Israel will be part of the Eastern Mediterranean region covering Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Turkey.
In her new position, Mochiach reports to Alfonso Perez-Soto, president of emerging markets, Warner Recorded Music, and will work closely with Gülce Özyeşilpınar, GM of Warner Music Turkey, who also acts as VP of marketing for the region.
Mochiach is well-established in the Israeli music industry, starting her career as a branch manager at Tower Records, then moving to local record company Hed Arzi as music and repertoire manager of WMG’s and BMG’s business interests. She then joined Lev Group Media as GM and A&R creative consultant, where she looked after Warner Music and Warner Chappell as well as labels Beggars Group, Domino Recordings and Kobalt Music Group. Most recently, she worked in business affairs and sync at Israeli indie Anova Music.
“I’m honored to be able to open Warner Music Israel for business,” said Mochiach. ““Our country is full of unique and extraordinary talent which we hope to propel onto the global stage. We hope to find many inspirational artists in Israel in the near future.”
Added Perez-Soto: “Israel has a rich culture and is the home to some incredible talent. Mariah has vast experience of the country’s music industry and so is the perfect person to lead our operations here. We hope to turn Warner Music Israel into a powerhouse full of local stars, and by offering artists the opportunity to tap into Warner Music’s renowned global network, we aim to attract the country’s most exciting talent.”
