Avi Kaplan

Avriel Benjamin "Avi" Kaplan, (born April 17, 1989 (age 36)), was the bass vocalist of Pentatonix. He and Kevin Olusola agreed to join Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado and Mitch Grassi to form a band to compete in the NBC singing competition, The Sing-Off and has since gone on to record and tour with Pentatonix, becoming a notable influence in their sound. On May 12, 2017, he announced that he was leaving the group.

Bio[]

Avi Kaplan was born and raised in the small town of Visalia, CA, to Michael and Shelly Kaplan. He is of Ukrainian and Russian heritage. He has two older siblings: his brother Joshua, who lives in Israel, and his sister Esther, who was Pentatonix's tour manager until 2018 and is currently his manager. He has two older siblings, Joshua, his brother who lives in Israel, and Esther, his sister, who was also Pentatonix's tour manager until 2018 and is currently his manager. After graduating Mt. Whitney High School, Kaplan moved to Walnut, CA in 2007 to attend Mt. San Antonio College, well known for their strong choral and opera background.

In 2008, he joined "Fermata Nowhere", a cool, high-energy, in-your-face, male A Cappella group of Mt. San Antonio College. During his sophomore year, "Fermata Nowhere" won the ICCA, the first community college ever to do so. In this competition, Kaplan received a special award for "Best Rhythm Section" in previous years, the award had been coined the "Best Vocal Percussionist" and had never been assigned a low voice. Kaplan was the first bass vocal to be given this award; it would be later that the name of the award was changed specifically to honor him. In his junior year at Mt. San Antonio, he joined Singcopation, an award-winning jazz ensemble that won the Monterey Jazz Festival Competition in his first year. He has performed at venues worldwide, including New York City’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall." (quotation from the official website). Kaplan loves playing guitar, composing and arranging music (including choir and A Cappella) and has trained in opera.

Career[]

Pentatonix (2011 - 2017)[]

Kaplan joined Pentatonix in 2011, when the original members, Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying, sought a bass singer and beatboxer. They met just a day before the auditions for The Sing-Off's third season and won. Kaplan served as the vocal bass, often taking lead parts.

In 2014, he co-founded A Cappella Academy, a summer camp for ages 12 to 18 to explore a cappella music. At the 57^th Annual Grammy Awards, Pentatonix won their first Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for their Daft Punk medley. They won the same award again at the 58^th Annual Grammy Awards for “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and a third Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 59^th Annual Grammy Awards for “Jolene,” featuring Dolly Parton.

On May 12, 2017, Kaplan announced that he would be leaving Pentatonix following their scheduled tour. In a video announcing his departure, he stated that although he loved being in the group, it was difficult for him to keep up with the group's demanding schedule, which required him to spend less time with his family. His final show with Pentatonix was held at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction, Vermont, on September 3, 2017.

Solo career (2017 - present)[]

On April 29, 2017, Kaplan released his first solo song, "Fields and Pier", under the name Avriel & the Sequoias. His debut EP, Sage and Stone, was released on June 9, 2017, followed by a bluegrass cover of Outkast's "Hey Ya" the next month. After leaving Pentatonix, Kaplan was able to focus on his clear and precise vocal style in an indie folk solo career.

In 2019, after signing with Fantasy Records, he returned to the name Avi Kaplan and released six singles, including the richly produced "Otherside," which showcased influences from David Crosby and Fleet Foxes. Kaplan announced his first solo tour in October 2019. He announced his second EP, "I'll Get By", on November 5, 2019. The project, originally scheduled to be released on January 24, 2020, alongside an accompanying tour, was postponed and later released on February 28, 2020. His third EP, "Lean on Me" was released on August 21, 2020, which included a cover of Bill Withers' classic 1972 hit. In April 2021, Kaplan launched "Song for the Thankful," a standalone single inspired by Glen Campbell.

On February 15, 2022, Kaplan formally announced his debut solo studio album, "Floating on a Dream", which Country musician Shooter Jennings produced. Kaplan released the album's lead single "First Place I Go" on November 12, 2021. Its second single, "All Is Well" featuring singer Joy Williams, was released alongside the album's announcement on February 15, 2022. The full album Floating on a Dream was released on May 20, 2022.

Kaplan and Shooter Jennings recorded the 4-episode commentary series, Behind The Dream, to accompany live recordings of "I'm Only Getting Started", "All Is Well", "I Can't Lie", and "When I'm A Fool" from the album, Floating on a Dream at Sunset Sound Recorders.

On April 12, 2024, Kaplan released his fourth EP, "Feel Alright", on April 12, 2024. He released its' lead single, "Healing" on November 17, 2023. The second single, "Feel Alright" was released on February 9, 2024, and the third single, "Good Good Love" was released on April 8, 2024, just days before the EP.

After leaving Fantasy Records, Kaplan has released another EP titled "Move Our Souls" on April 18. 2025. Its' lead single, also named "Move Our Souls" was released on August 30, 2024. The next single, "Peace Somehow" was released on February 21, 2025, followed by the release of its' third single, "Set Me Free" on March 21, 2025.

During his 2025 tour to promote the release of his EP "Move Our Souls", Kaplan formed a backing chorus from local Portland, Oregon singers, whom he named the "Oregon Forest Choir". The group performed at Revolution Hall on April 18, 2025.

Personal Life[]

Kaplan is Jewish, which, as he mentioned in a final episode of The Sing-Off, caused him to be the target of bullying in school. Both his first and last names are traditionally Jewish names. One of his favorite music genres is country / bluegrass. Kaplan currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gallery[]

External Links[]

Facebook: @avikaplanmusic

Twitter: @Avi_Kaplan

Instagram: @avi_kaplan

YouTube