May 1, 2014, Updated May 4, 2014
Michael and Shimrit Greilsammer.
Michael and Shimrit Greilsammer.

Israeli violinist Michael Greilsammer has been wooing international audiences with his virtuoso skills since he first picked up the instrument as a child. But his latest original creation mixing Israel’s national anthem with the theme song from the popular HBO series Games of Thrones has made him a viral sensation.

There is nothing fancy in the way of effects in the short black-and-white video. 

The music is the focus. And the mashup of “Hatikvah” with the television soundtrack is fascinating and hauntingly beautiful.

Greilsammer, who dubs himself the world’s only Jewish reggae violinist, has a packed schedule ahead that will see him in France, Germany, the UK and Canada from now through June.

In fact, it was for his May 5 concert in Bordeaux, France, that he created the spontaneous mashup. He combined Iranian-German composer Ramin Djawadi’s score for Game of Thrones with the music of “Hatikvah.”

Local media has gone wild over the new video. Greilsammer’s short clip has also been highlighted in the international press including Hollywood Reporter.

“Just as I was watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones, I got a call from France, to make sure all the arrangements have been made for our performances there on [Israeli] Independence Day,” Greilsammer told Ynet. “They asked me to send them a short video promo.”

The child of French immigrant parents has a long music career behind him and in front of him. Having been pronounced a child prodigy at the age of five, Greilsammer saw breakout success in 2009 with his debut album Mitorer/Je me reveille (Waking Up), released by the major French music label, Naïve. His second album, B Paris, was hailed as a “perfect album” by Israeli music critics.

He is currently producing his third album with new material in Hebrew, French and English.

More on Life