His piano teacher Vincze-Kraus taught at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv University.

During his studies at the Hebrew Gymnasium "Herzliya," he learned to play the trumpet and later, the French horn, which would become his main instrument.

In 1949 he was invited to conduct the Israel Defense Forces, IDF, orchestra that had been founded shortly beforehand.

The symphonic orchestra toured the country, while the wind ensemble played military parades, light music, and Jazz.

The youth ensemble would go on to win first prize, which was a silver harp, at the Queen Juliana competition for orchestras in Kerkrade, Netherlands, which was attended by over 100 bands.

This band toured in 1967 under his Riklis' baton in the United States and Canada with American star Danny Kaye.

Riklis headed the faculty and conducted the Chamber Orchestra of the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv University.