A World Class Orchestra

A World Class Orchestra

Alicia
Israel Blog by Mazada Tours

Many travelers choose to travel to a certain destination in order to see a show or attend an indigenous activity. This type of travel includes travel to attend a concert or a series of concerts, shows and other happenings. Mazada Tours has custom tours that are scheduled around outstanding performances and activities. Contact us for possible travel dates.Even before its inception, Israel was known for its fantastic musical talents that fled war torn Europe in search of freedom and a deep desire to produce musical masterpieces. In 1936, after being fired from a European Orchestra for being Jewish, Bronislaw Huberman founded the Palestine orchestra. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra came to life in 1948. The maiden performance was attended by a modest Tel Aviv audience on December 26, 1936, and was conducted by Maestro Arturo Toscanini.Leo Kestenberg, the legendary orchestra director was like many of his coreligionists, a German Jew forced out by the Nazi rise to power and persecution of Jews. During the Second World War, the orchestra performed 140 times for Allied soldiers. After the war, in 1948, Israel witnessed the transition and name change of this musical ensemble after the creation of the new State of Israel. The orchestra adopted the name that it goes by today: the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, oftentimes referred to as the IPO.The IPO has experienced a truly stellar career with performances worldwide under some of the world's most renowned conductors including Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta, both of whom are prominent in the orchestra's history. Bernstein maintained close ties with the orchestra from 1947, and in 1988, the IPO bestowed on him the title of Laureate Conductor, which he retained until his death in 1990.Mehta has served as the IPO's Music Advisor since 1968. The IPO did not have a formal music director, but instead "music advisors" until 1977 when Mehta was appointed the IPO's first Music Director. In 1981, his title evolved into the title of Music Director for Life.Many composer's works have been included in the rich and vibrant programs and these include Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Dvořák. The IPO has a broad based audience and season tickets account for many of the seats sold. They have a subscriber base that has extended just past 25,000.International support for this worthwhile endeavor has centered on the United States where theAmerican Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (AFIPO), a non-profit organization is dedicated to sustaining the financial future of the Israel Philharmonic. The funds raised by AFIPO are deposited in a fund which assists with the operational costs of the orchestra and its musical education programs throughout Israel.The organization operates out of New York and solicits support for the Orchestra through hosting events and encouraging supporters all over North America to contribute to the Israel Philharmonic, which is, inter alia, a viable cultural ambassador for the state of Israel.Legendary conductor Zubin Mehta announced his retirement at the end of 2016, as music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra – effective in October 2019. The 80-year-old, Indian-born conductor has been with the ensemble on a regular basis for close to half a century, and there is undoubtedly a special mutual relationship between the iconic conductor and the musicians performing concerts, recordings and tours. Mehta has conducted thousands of performances on five continents with the IPO.Over the years, Mehta has won countless awards and titles all over the world, including a special award at the 1991 Israel Prize ceremony and the Praemium Imperiale – the World Culture Prize in Memory of His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu – by Japan, and has even been honored by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.In addition to his active career and multiple music directorships, Mehta has maintained a strong commitment to exposing today’s youth to classical music. He founded the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation in his birthplace of Mumbai, where more than 300 children annually find access to Western Classical Music. [From Mehta's Official Bio]Join the countless travelers who have attended classical musical performances under the legendary maestro Zubin Mehta. Contact Mazada Tours for further info. Now is the time to make the move before the maestro's retirement plans become a reality.By Brent J. Mitchell

You May Also Like

Get A Free Quote!

We are here to assist you!

Contact Us

Contact

Ready to travel?