Israel Philharmonic Orchestra facts for kids
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (often called the IPO) is a famous orchestra in Tel Aviv, Israel. An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play many different instruments together. The IPO's main concert hall is called Heichal HaTarbut.
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History of the Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra started in 1936. It was first called the Palestine Symphony Orchestra. A talented violinist named Bronisław Huberman created it. He wanted to give jobs to many Jewish musicians who had lost their places in European orchestras. This happened because of the rise of the Nazis and how badly they treated Jewish people.
The orchestra's very first concert was in Tel Aviv on December 26, 1936. A famous conductor named Arturo Toscanini led the performance. William Steinberg was the orchestra's first main conductor.
During World War II, the orchestra played many concerts for Allied soldiers. They even performed for Jewish soldiers in El Alamein in 1942. After the war, they played in Belgium, which had just been freed. In 1948, when the country of Israel was created, the orchestra changed its name to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1955, the orchestra played for Pope Pius XII at the Vatican. This was to thank the Pope for helping Jewish victims during World War Two.
Two very important conductors for the IPO were Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta. Bernstein worked closely with the orchestra starting in 1947. In 1988, the IPO gave him the special title of Laureate Conductor. He kept this title until he passed away in 1990.
Zubin Mehta became the IPO's Music Advisor in 1969. The IPO didn't have a formal "music director" until 1977. That's when Mehta became their first Music Director. In 1981, they made his title even more special: Music Director for Life. Mehta finished his time as music director in October 2019. Other important guest conductors have included Yoel Levi and Gianandrea Noseda.
The IPO has made many recordings. They recorded music with Zubin Mehta for Decca Records. With Leonard Bernstein, they recorded his own music and works by Igor Stravinsky. The orchestra also worked with Japanese composer Yoko Kanno on music for the anime show Macross Plus.
The first concerts in 1936 included music by Richard Wagner. However, after a terrible event in November 1938 called Kristallnacht, the orchestra stopped playing Wagner's music. This was because Wagner had strong anti-Jewish views. His music also became linked with Nazi Germany.
The orchestra's Secretary-General is Avi Shoshani. The IPO has about 26,000 people who buy tickets for their concerts regularly. The orchestra also performs new music by Israeli composers, like Avner Dorman.
The IPO helps educate young musicians through the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. This school is a partnership between the orchestra and Tel Aviv University. Zubin Mehta and Josef Buchmann created it to train future orchestral musicians. Many IPO members teach at the school, and some are even former students!
In 2007, Lahav Shani first performed with the IPO as a guest musician. He started conducting the orchestra as a guest each year from 2013. In January 2018, the IPO announced that Lahav Shani would be their next music director. He started this role in the 2020-2021 season and still holds it today.
Awards and Recognition
In 1958, the IPO won the Israel Prize for music. This was the first time an organization received this important award.
Music Advisors
- William Steinberg (1936–1938)
- Leonard Bernstein (1947–1949; Laureate Conductor, 1988–1990)
- Paul Paray (1949–1951)
- Bernardino Molinari
- Jean Martinon (1957–1959)
- Zubin Mehta (1969–1977)
Music Directors
- Zubin Mehta (1977–2019)
- Lahav Shani (2020–)
American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (AFIPO) is a group that helps the IPO financially. The Israel government does not give much money to the orchestra. So, in 1980, Fredric R. Mann and Zubin Mehta created AFIPO. Their goal was to make sure the IPO would always have money to keep playing.
AFIPO helps the orchestra share its music around the world. The money they raise helps the orchestra with its daily costs. It also supports music education programs across Israel. This group is based in New York. They encourage people in North America to support the IPO, which is like a cultural ambassador for Israel.
See also
In Spanish: Orquesta Filarmónica de Israel para niños
- Buchmann-Mehta School of Music
- Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
- Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
- Culture in Israel
- Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation
- List of Israel Prize recipients
- Music in Israel
- Hellmut Stern
- Marc Lavry
