By Eileen Wingard
NEW YORK– A ten-year-old violin prodigy, Mark Karlinsky, a thirteen-year old Israeli-Chinese pianist, Motti Bentov, two male dancers, Joseph Chaikin and Tal Adler-Arieli, the celebrated violin and piano siblings Gil and Orly Shaham, and a Rock Band, Shorashim were part of the eclectic mix at the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Gala Concert last October in the Time-Warner Building in Manhattan.
The lobby had an art and photographic display. The high level of performing and visual arts displayed that evening testified to the America-Israel Cultural Foundation’s major role supporting the arts in Israel. A full house, generated by the hard working AICF Executive Director, David Homan, appreciated the remarkable display of Israeli talent.
One of AICF’s goals is to sponsor young artists in the critical, early part of their careers. The Foundation encourages the top young artists through scholarships in Israel and abroad, provides enrichment and periphery support to enhance the education of artists throughout Israel, and creates support and education structures for teachers of the arts.
During my ten-day visit to Israel last month, I attended the finals of the conducting contestants in Haifa and the violin contestants in Tel Aviv for the AICF’s yearly Aviv Competition. The jury for the young conductors was headed by Yoav Talmi, former music director of the San Diego Symphony and current conducting professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. Each of the three finalists conducted the Haifa Symphony in works by Stravinsky, Schumann and Beethoven.
The finalists were all experienced musicians, but the jury, after careful deliberation, gave only honorable mention to one of the finalists, Jonathan Spandorf, with a $1000 scholarship. However, in the violin competition, Koby Malkin, a student of Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory, received the full Aviv Competition Prize of $6000.
Orit Naor, the Israeli Executive Director of the AICF, was present at both auditions, conferring with the juries and making certain all ran well. A flute player, she has a special understanding of the needs and anxieties of young musicians. Both she and Homan are strongly dedicated to ensuring, through AICF, that Israeli society has a vibrant, meaningful, and international arts scene and Israeli artists can showcase Israel and its culture to the world in a positive light.
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Wingard is a former violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and a freelance writer