Israel Chamber Orchestra

The orchestra is a Tel Aviv-based chamber ensemble with programming that ranges from Baroque repertoire to contemporary and Israeli music. Its activities include a Classical Season at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, family concerts, open-air performances, special cross-genre projects, and tours in Israel and abroad.[2][3] Ruben Gazarian began serving as musical director in the 2024–2025 concert season.[5]

Gary Bertini (1927–2005), an Israeli conductor and composer, established the orchestra in 1965 under the name Israeli Chamber Ensemble.[2][3] Its founding mission was to bring Israeli audiences music that had not previously been readily available, stretching from Baroque masterworks to contemporary pieces commissioned from Israeli composers.[1] Bertini served as the ensemble's musical director and conductor for approximately a decade, shaping it as a platform for both established repertoire and new Israeli music.[4]

Bertini frequently commissioned and performed works by Zvi Avni, Ben-Zion Orgad, Paul Ben-Haim, André Hajdu, Josef Tal, Ödön Partos, Marc Kopitman, Shulamit Ran, and Noam Sheriff.[3] The orchestra's biography states that most of Mordechai Seter's works were first performed under Bertini's baton.[3] Bertini also founded the Rinat Choir in 1955, initiated the Contemporary Music Vespers series between 1962 and 1965, and launched the Liturgical Festival in Jerusalem in 1978.[3] His contributions to Israeli cultural life were recognized with the Israel Prize in 1978 and the Peleg Prize in 1990.[3]

The ensemble emerged within the broader expansion of Israeli orchestral life. By the mid-1960s, the country's musical institutions included the Israel Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, and Haifa Symphony, while chamber and regional orchestras continued to develop in subsequent decades.[6]

After Bertini's departure, the ensemble underwent a significant transformation. Rudolf Barshai, who had emigrated from Russia, took over in 1977 and oversaw its renaming as the Israel Chamber Orchestra; under his direction the ensemble was enlarged to 45 musicians.[6] Barshai left Israel in 1981, and Uri Segal served as musical director in 1982–83.[6] Segal had won first prize in the 1969 Mitropoulos Conducting Competition in New York and subsequently conducted major orchestras in New York, England, Europe, America, and New Zealand.[1] Yoav Talmi followed as musical director from 1984 to 1988, and Shlomo Mintz was appointed music advisor in 1988.[6]

Luciano Berio is also listed among the orchestra's notable musical directors.[1] Philippe Entremont served as principal conductor from 1995 to 1998 and was subsequently appointed laureate conductor.[1] Salvador Mas Conde was musical director from 1998 to 2001, followed by Noam Sheriff from 2002 to 2005.[1] A National Library archival record documents agreements between Sheriff and the orchestra dating to April 1985, showing that his formal association with the ensemble predated his directorship.[7] Gil Shohat, an Israeli composer known for avant-garde work, succeeded Sheriff from 2005.[1] The orchestra had earlier commissioned and performed Shohat's The Nightingale and the Rose when he was 18, and in 1996 the Italian publisher Ricordi signed him, making him the youngest musician on its roster at that time.[8] Roberto Paternostro subsequently served as conductor before Ariel Zuckermann assumed the music-director role in February 2015.[4]

Ruben Gazarian was unanimously selected by the orchestra's board after conducting the ensemble, with strong support from its musicians, and assumed the position in the 2024–2025 concert season.[5] Born in Armenia and resident in Germany, Gazarian served as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn from 2002 to 2018—a tenure encompassing more than 860 concerts and 26 recordings—and as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt from 2014 to 2020.[5] The orchestra states that he began serving as General Music Director of the Altenburg-Gera Theatre in the 2020–2021 season and as Principal Guest Conductor of the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia in March 2023.[5] The 2026–2027 season brochure lists Christoph Poppen as Principal Guest Conductor and Nitai Rach as conductor in residence.[3]

The orchestra's programming spans Baroque music, the classical and romantic periods, and contemporary and Israeli compositions.[3] Subscription concert series have been a cornerstone of its activities since at least September 1972, when a National Library archival record documented its eighth-season subscription concert number one.[9]

In 1978, the orchestra launched a music-education initiative for young audiences under the title Youth and Family Concerts. The programs used special events, commentary, audiovisual media, and actor-mime performances alongside the music to bring younger listeners closer to musical understanding.[1] Its programming later expanded to include "New Dimensions" concerts devoted to contemporary music, appearances by guest soloists and conductors, and platforms for Israeli soloists and emerging young artists.[1] The orchestra also presented concerts in settings selected to complement the works being performed.[1]

The orchestra's collaborative work has included operatic productions. It presented the Hebrew-language opera And the Rat Laughed, based on a book by Nava Semel, in cooperation with the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv. Ori Leshman conducted, Oded Kotler directed, and Naomi Faran directed the Moran Choir; the production included English subtitles.[10] A video collection cataloged at the National Library documents the orchestra performing Noam Sheriff's Sonata for chamber orchestra, Prayer, Before the Gate of Gloom, and Heptaprism, conducted respectively by Sheriff, David Shallon, Sheriff, and Gary Bertini.[11]

In the twenty-first century, the orchestra developed cross-genre projects intended to reach audiences beyond its traditional subscription base. These have included the Classics classical-electronic project at the Barby club in Jaffa, the Rockcamerit open-air series in Yarkon Park, and Fuse festivals combining classical and fusion music.[2] Collaborations have involved Miri Mesika, Assaf Amdursky, Maor Cohen, Guy Mazig, Yizhar Ashdot, the avant-garde Malenky Theatre, and the TEDER collective at Beit Romano in Jaffa.[2] A 2018 concert at the Na Laga'at Center in Jaffa was presented in total darkness, with musicians dispersed around the auditorium and a program including music by Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Brahms.[12]

The announced 2020–2021 season—the orchestra's 55th—was planned as eleven concerts combining established repertoire with lesser-known works and contemporary Israeli compositions.[13] Programs included music by Benjamin Britten, Mordecai Seter, Camille Saint-Saëns, Erich Korngold, Felix Mendelssohn, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Sergei Prokofiev, and Francis Poulenc. The season also included a tribute by Ella Milch-Sheriff to conductor and composer Noam Sheriff and lecture-events by pianist Irena Friedland on connections between music and the visual arts.[13] The 2026–2027 program lists nine Classical Season evening concerts and five Fantasia family concerts, with the Classical Season presented at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art's Recanati Auditorium.[3]

Over more than six decades, the orchestra has performed with an extensive roster of guest artists. Soloists have included Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zuckerman, Shlomo Mintz, Yefim Bronfman, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Miriam Fried, Christoph Eschenbach, Yosef Kalichstein, Paul Tortelier, Heinrich Schiff, Heinz Holliger, Claude Frank, and Tabea Zimmermann.[1][3] Guest conductors have included Krzysztof Penderecki and David Shalon, among others.[4]

The orchestra has also presented vocal programs with choirs from Israel and abroad.[4] Guest ensembles have included the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Ensemble Vocale de Lausanne, Gulbenkian Choir, Brigham Young University Choir, Tölz Boys Choir, Prague Chamber Choir, and the Vienna Boys' Choir.[1][3] Composer and conductor Ziv Cojocaru has performed with the orchestra, and his arrangements have been played by it and other major Israeli ensembles.[14]

The orchestra presents an annual concert series in Israel and has undertaken regular international tours.[1] Its domestic appearances have included the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the annual Classicameri Festival, the Abu Ghosh Music Festival, summer concerts in Tel Aviv, the Olive Festival in the Galilee, Jerusalem Day events, and Mozart celebrations in Acre.[4] It has also participated in the Israel Festival, Upper Galilee Music Festival, Sounds in the Desert, and the Israeli Music Fest.[3]

Internationally, the orchestra has toured Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, and the Far East, and has appeared at festivals in Salzburg, Linz, Helsinki, Istanbul, Athens, Pompeii, Sofia, and Hong Kong.[4][3] Concert programs were recorded and filmed in cooperation with the Israel Broadcasting Authority.[1] The orchestra states that its discography includes more than 30 CDs recorded for labels such as Chandos, Naxos, Brilliant Classics, Teldec, Nimbus, Music Masters, CBS, Ars Produktion, Musical Heritage Society, Carrière Classics, Jerusalem Records, and Israel Music Publishing.[3]

Promotion of Israeli music has been central to the orchestra since its founding, from Bertini's commissions and premieres to later programs featuring Israeli composers, soloists, and emerging artists.[1][3] Its education programs, family concerts, and cross-genre collaborations have broadened its work beyond conventional chamber-orchestra subscriptions.[1][2] International tours, festival appearances, prominent guest artists, and a discography of more than 30 recordings have extended the orchestra's cultural reach beyond Israel.[3]

By 2015, the orchestra—described that year as Israel's oldest chamber orchestra, with approximately 1,000 subscribers and dozens of employees, including 27 musicians—faced a severe financial crisis.[15] It petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court for protection from creditors and an urgent stay of proceedings relating to obligations of approximately 4 million shekels.[15] The court granted a temporary stay and appointed accountant Boaz Gazit as trustee.[15] During the crisis, the orchestra had reportedly been declared insolvent twice and was close to dissolution. The number of employees covered by its collective agreement reportedly fell from 32 to 14, while 28 musicians appeared on stage without fixed salaries.[16] Its total annual needs, including ticket income and donations, were estimated at 8–10 million shekels, with approximately 5 million required annually for salaries.[16]

The roots of the crisis extended back several years. In 2013, the orchestra received a 2-million-shekel loan from the Ministry of Finance to cover past debts, to be repaid in 48 installments. By 2015, it reported having repaid 950,000 shekels and ending 2014 with a profit of approximately 80,000 shekels.[15] The orchestra attributed part of its continuing difficulty to concert cancellations during Operation Protective Edge and to the state's failure to transfer 1.1 million shekels in support for 2015.[15] The Ministry of Culture and Sports stated that the orchestra had failed to meet recovery-plan targets concerning fundraising, subscriber numbers, and loan repayments, and that public funds could not be released contrary to civil-service rules.[16] The orchestra disputed that characterization, arguing that the ministry had accepted a recovery plan while approval from the Accountant General remained outstanding.[16]

The rescue effort was led by a new volunteer board chaired by Dr. Eitan Or, with support from the arts-management and public-relations company Carousel.[15] Ariel Zuckermann was selected as musical director in 2015 after competing against more than 20 candidates. An Israeli-born conductor who began his career as a flutist, he had regularly conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Philharmonic, and German Symphony Orchestra.[15] In a 2020 account, Zuckermann recalled that the orchestra had been "in a mess, on the verge of liquidation" when he arrived, but said it subsequently filled auditoria and brought in younger musicians, creating "a wonderful energy."[13]

In July 2011, under conductor Roberto Paternostro, the Israel Chamber Orchestra traveled to Bayreuth, Germany, to perform Richard Wagner's Siegfried Idyll. The event was described at the time as the first performance of Wagner in Germany by an Israeli orchestra.[17] The program also included music by Israeli composer Zvi Avni, Felix Mendelssohn, and Gustav Mahler and formed part of a fringe festival linked to the annual Wagner festival.[17] The orchestra did not rehearse the Wagner work in Israel.[17]

The performance was deeply contentious. Wagner's antisemitism and the Nazi appropriation of his music had made his work subject to a longstanding unofficial taboo in Israel. The Palestine Orchestra, predecessor of the Israel Philharmonic, imposed an informal ban in 1938 after Nazi attacks on Jews in Germany.[17] The Bayreuth performance provoked a protest outside the Tel Aviv Museum, where demonstrators urged the public to cancel subscriptions to the orchestra.[18] Protest organizer Noy Dagan stated: "By playing Wagner, they're saying okay, we accept the Holocaust."[18]

Paternostro defended the decision, arguing that Wagner's ideology and antisemitism were terrible but that he was also a great composer, and that the aim was to separate the man from his art.[17] Clarinetist Dan Erdmann said that the historical conflicts and emotions associated with Wagner were precisely what made the performance especially significant to the musicians.[17] The episode remains one of the most publicly debated moments in the orchestra's history.

The orchestra is supported by Israel's Ministry of Culture and Sports through the Culture and Arts Administration and by the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality.[4][2] A public council serves in an advisory capacity.[1] The orchestra's concerts are held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art's Recanati Auditorium at 27 Shaul Hamelech Avenue in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, while its management offices are at 35 She'erit Israel Street.[3]

National Library of Israel records document the orchestra's institutional history, including a filmed rehearsal from 1969 in the Dan Hadani Archive and concert programs from its early subscription seasons.[19][9] The Gary Bertini Archive preserves materials related to the orchestra's programming history, including a September 1972 eighth-season subscription concert.[9] The Noam Sheriff Archive holds a file of agreements between Sheriff and the orchestra dating to April 1985.[7] These holdings document the orchestra's place within Israel's cultural and archival heritage.

Sources do not fully agree on details of the orchestra's founding and early history. The most widely cited founding year is 1965, supported by the orchestra's own materials, the principal Jewish Virtual Library entry, and Encyclopedia.com's cultural-history article.[1][6][2] However, a separate Encyclopedia.com biography of Gary Bertini gives 1964 as the founding date, while another Jewish Virtual Library overview places the orchestra's establishment in 1968.[20][21] The sources do not explain the discrepancy. Some accounts describe Bertini as founding the Israel Chamber Orchestra directly, while more detailed chronologies distinguish between the Israeli Chamber Ensemble founded in 1965 and its later renaming and enlargement under Rudolf Barshai.[6][4]

The 2026–2027 season brochure contains an internal inconsistency, displaying "60th season" in one location and "61st season" elsewhere.[3] The brochure does not reconcile the two designations.