Ammiel Issaschar Bushakevitz was born in Jerusalem in 1986 and began playing piano at the age of four. Matriculating with distinctions for all his subjects, Ammiel is currently completing his M Mus at the University of Pretoria, where his piano lecturer is Prof. Joseph Stanford and his collaborative piano coach Prof. Heinrich van der Mescht.

Ammiel has been broadcast on national radio and has appeared on television shows such as the SABC's Morning Live and KykNet’s Ouverture. He has given performances across the country and has appeared as soloist with every professional orchestra in South Africa, including the Cape Philharmonic, Johannesburg Philharmonic, Kwa Zulu-Natal Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.

In 2008 Ammiel won the prestigious Unisa Overseas Music Scholarship for Performers. It was the first time since the scholarship’s inception in 1899 that it was awarded for vocal accompaniment. Ammiel receives coaching in vocal accompaniment from Prof. Heinrich van der Mescht.

Other competitions Ammiel has won include the Musicon National Piano Competition (2004), the Philip H Moore National Music Competition (2007), the Lionel Bowman Beethoven Competition of Pretoria University (2007) and the ATKV Muziq Competition's piano category (2007). Ammiel passed his B Mus degree cum laude in 2008. He possesses three performers’ licentiates from Unisa; two for solo piano and one for vocal accompaniment. He passed all three licentiates cum laude.

Bursaries and awards include the Pretorium Trust Bursary (three times), the Pretorium Trust Postgraduate Bursary, the FAK Senior Music Award (twice), SAMRO Undergraduate Bursary (twice), Isaac Greenberg Scholarship, Du Toit / Van Tonder Award, Stellenbosch Vrouevereniging  Award, Gideon Roos / Esther Mentz Award, UP General Study Scholarship and the SAMRO / Unisa / Brenda Rein Scholarship for Accompanists.

A passionate admirer of the German Lied, Ammiel intends to further his studies at Berlin's prestigious Hanns Eisler School of Music in 2009, where he will specialise in vocal accompaniment and chamber music.