Zvi Harell was born in Berlin and came to Israel as a child where he received his entire musical education.
In 1962, Zvi Harell was invited to Tokyo to take up the position of first cellist in the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. He remained there for three years, playing solo and teaching at the Japan University in Tokyo.
In 1965 Zvi Harell was appointed first cellist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the position he held until 1976.
During these years, he performed as soloist with many leading orchestras under the baton of world famous conductors such as Cellibedache, Abbado, Dorati, Mehta and Parray.
Since leaving the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zvi Harell devoted himself to solo performances, chamber music and teaching Israel and abroad.