TEL AVIV (Press Release)– Fifty years ago, distinguished conductor Eugene Ormandy was forced to cancel a performance with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra due to illness. An up-and-coming, 25-year-old conductor named Zubin Mehta came to the rescue, launching a relationship that remains creative and prosperous five decades later.
Celebrating the concurrent 75th anniversaries of both the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s and Music Director Zubin Mehta’s birth years, as well as the 50th anniversary of Maestro Mehta’s conducting debut with the same ensemble, the Orchestra proudly announces its 2011 United States tour, performing eight concerts in seven cities February 19—March 1, 2011.
As a 75-year old symbol of cultural diplomacy, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra brings its music and message of peace to concerts in Naples, West Palm Beach, New York City, Newark, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Mehta and the IPO bring no less than five separate programs to these cities, performing works by Beethoven, Haydn, Liszt, Mahler, Schubert and Webern. Full program information is available below.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall program offers two additional features unique to the New York City performance: Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman joins the Orchestra in Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major; and to celebrate the IPO’s role as an ambassador of cultural communication between Israel and the rest of the world, the Orchestra performs the North American Premiere of a new orchestral version of Israeli composer Avner Dorman’s Azerbaijani Dance.
Known as the “Heartbeat of a Nation,” the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra stands as a powerful symbol of freedom and peace in its role as cultural emissary for the State of Israel. Since its inception in 1936, the IPO (originally named the Palestine Orchestra) has been dedicated to presenting the world’s greatest classical music to audiences in Israel and worldwide. The Orchestra tours as an international emissary for Israel, serving as an exponent of cultural diplomacy for the nation while upholding its reputation as an integral part of the international music scene.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra could not celebrate its 75th Anniversary without recognizing the extraordinary achievements Maestro Zubin Mehta has made both as the IPO’s Music Director, and as one of the world’s preeminent musical leaders. During these 50 years since Maestro Mehta’s conducting debut with the IPO, he has remained not only a great friend of the IPO and the State of Israel, but has also become one of the most sought-after conductors in the world. In addition to his title as Music Director for Life of the IPO, Mehta has held the post of Music Director for Montreal Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Bavarian State Opera and New York Philharmonic—for which, at 13 years, he remains the organization’s longest-serving Music Director, conducting over one thousand concerts. He was also made an Honorary Member of the New York Philharmonic, an homage formerly bestowed on Wagner, Liszt, Dvorák, Copland, and Bernstein, among others.
In addition to his active career and multiple music directorships, Zubin 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. The Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv educates young talents in Israel and is closely related to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, as is a project of teaching young Arab-Israelis in the cities of Shwaram and Nazareth, in conjunction with local teachers and members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Maestro Mehta has conducted over two thousand concerts as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, including multiple tours spanning five continents. In 2006 Zubin Mehta was recognized for his extraordinary artistic achievements as a Kennedy Center Honoree. For Maestro Mehta the evening held an extra tribute as world-renowned violinist Pinchas Zukerman and members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra surprised their conductor by secretly traveling to Washington to perform in his honor.
All proceeds from the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Benefit concerts help ensure the financial security of the IPO.
Grammy-award winning pianist Yefim (“Fima”) Bronfman has wowed critics and audiences worldwide with his solo recitals, prestigious orchestral engagements, and expanding catalogue of recordings, being especially admired for his performances of modern Russian repertory. Bronfman’s 2010-2011 US season highlights include performances with the orchestras of Houston, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. Beyond the US, he will perform with Europe’s most celebrated orchestras, including the Concertgebouw, the Berlin Philhjarmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Berlin Staatskapelle, among others. In the fall, Bronfman and long-time friend and collaborator Pinchas Zukerman tour the US in a duo recital, with concerts in Chicago, Kansas City, Boston and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Having trained at the Juilliard School, Marlboro, and the Curtis Institute, with Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin, Bronfman was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize in 1991.
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ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 2011 UNITED STATES TOUR
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NAPLES, FLORIDA
Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Hayes Hall
Presented by Philharmonic Center for the Arts
HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D major “The Miracle”
LISZT: Les Preludes
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 in C major “The Great”
Concert tickets may be purchased at (239) 597-1900, (800) 597-1900 or www.thephil.org
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WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Kravis Center
Presented by Kravis Center
HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D major “The Miracle”
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Concert tickets may be purchased at (561) 832-7469, (800) 572-8471 or www.kravis.org
AFIPO Annual Gala
Pre-Concert Reception in the Cohen Pavilion
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NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium
Presented by American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (AFIPO)
with Guest Artist Yefim Bronfman, piano
DORMAN: Azerbaijani Dance (North American Orchestral Premiere)
LISZT: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
North American Premiere of a new orchestral version of Israeli composer Avner Dorman’s Azerbaijani Dance.
Concert tickets may be purchased at (212) 247-7800 or www.carnegiehall.org
AFIPO Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall
Post-Concert Supper at The Plaza Hotel
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 7:30 PM
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Presented by New Jersey Performing Arts Center
HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D major “The Miracle”
LISZT: Les Preludes
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 in C major “The Great”
Concert tickets may be purchased at (888) 466-5722 or www.njpac.org
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Benaroya Hall
Presented by Seattle Symphony Orchestra
BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3
WEBERN: Passacaglia, Op. 1
WEBERN: Six Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Concert tickets may be purchased at (206) 215-4747, (866) 833-4747 or www.seattlesymphony.org
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Davies Symphony Hall
Presented by San Francisco Symphony
HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D major “The Miracle”
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Concert tickets may be purchased at (415) 864-6000 or www.sfsymphony.org
AFIPO Gala
Pre-concert supper
Post-concert reception
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Davies Symphony Hall
Presented by San Francisco Symphony
BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3
WEBERN: Passacaglia, Op. 1
WEBERN: Six Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 in C major “The Great”
Concert tickets may be purchased at (415) 864-6000 or www.sfsymphony.org
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
Presented by Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
HAYDN: Symphony No. 96 in D major “The Miracle”
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Concert tickets may be purchased at (323) 850-2000 or www.laphil.com
AFIPO Gala
Pre-concert Reception at Patina
Post-concert Champagne Dessert Reception in the Walt Disney Founder’s Room with Maestro Mehta and members of the IPO
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Preceding provided by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra