By Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO — Twelve years after Wall Street Journal’s correspondent, Daniel Pearl, was brutally beheaded in Karachi, Pakistan by the Al-Qaeda-connected militant group, National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty, he continues to be memorialized world-wide. The Daniel Pearl Foundation, formed by Pearl’s family and friends, have promoted “Daniel Pearl World Music Days,” with 1,500 concerts in over 60 countries to date. The Israeli-American journalist was an amateur violinist and mandolin player who believed in the power of music to bring people together.
On Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Smith Recital Hall at San Diego State University, a free concert, in memory of Pearl, will take place. It is co-sponsored by the Judaic Studies Department of SDSU, the San Diego Jewish Federation, Temple Emanu-El and Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
Opening the program will be a 17- member ensemble from the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO) under the direction of David Amos, with cello soloist, Marcia Bookstein, performing “In Memorium” by Gerard Schwarz. TICO’s second selection will be a work by Julius Chajes, based on the songs of the early pioneers in the Land of Israel.
Bookstein, a cellist with the San Diego Symphony, was formerly principal cellist of the Jerusalem Orchestra and co-principal of the San Diego Symphony. She annually performs Kol Nidre by Max Bruch for Congregation Beth Israel.
Amos has directed TICO for over 40 years and is a respected recording artist, guest conductor and adjudicator.
The next part of the program, called Common Chords,will bring SDSU’s Scholar-in-Residence, Yale Strom’s Klezmer group, Hot P’stromi, together with musicians from India, the Middle East and South Asia. Strom and his violin will be joined by Elizabeth Schwartz, vocalist, Tripp Sprague, tenor sax, Mark Dresser, bass, and Meir Shitrit, guitar/bouzouki, Iranian vocalist and instrumentalist, Hamed Nikpay, Indian tabla player, Samir Chatterjee, and South Asian-American percussionist, Sunny Jain.
In addition, the acclaimed Malashock Dancers, under the direction of John Malashock, will be participating, dancing to an original score by Yale Strom.
The multifaceted program has been coordinated by Sara Appel-Lennon, journalist, poet and freelance writer.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
With a program spanning classical, Israeli, Klezmer and world music, it promises to be a fitting tribute to Daniel Pearl (1963-2002), of blessed memory.
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Wingard, a former violinist with the San Diego Symphony, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com