Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra

On March 30, 1936, the voice of the postmaster general Colonel Hudson burst into the ether, announcing for the first time “This is Jerusalem Calling”, followed by a Hebrew translation and a speech by the High Commissioner Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, who officially inaugurated the Palestine Broadcasting Service. Music was part of public broadcast content from its very inception, even more so in the years of the British Mandate, since the admitted policy was not to involve any political content whatsoever.

Initially, the musical needs of the young radio station were supplied by the small Chamber Orchestra of the Palestine Broadcasting Service, which was directed by the singer-conductor Kar’el Salmon. Apart from fulfilling these necessary musical obligations, in a true visionary and pioneering fashion, the ensemble set itself to pave the way and establish the ground for future musical activity in Jerusalem.

In 1939 the orchestra began its weekly concerts at the YMCA, where they were held until 1975, long after it was renamed the Kol Israel (Israeli Broadcasting Association) Orchestra in 1948.

The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra played a crucial role in shaping and developing the cultural sphere of the newly formed state. Much in the spirit of the original small ensemble, the orchestra emphasized the commissioning and performance of modern works, both Israeli and foreign, and combined both local soloists and conductors with guest artists.

Outstanding among its conductors were Michael Taube, Georg Singer, Otto Klemperer, Heinz Freudenthal, Shalom Ronly-Riklis, Mendi Rodan, Lawrence Foster, Yoav Talmi, Sergiu Comissiona, Lukas Foss, Gary Bertini and David Shallon. Works that had their première in Jerusalem include David (Milhaud, 1954), Abraham and Isaac (Stravinsky, 1964) and Exhortatio (Dallapiccola, 1971). Over the years, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, IBA, saw breathtaking guests performances from some of the greatest luminaries of recent generations, including Arthur Rubinstein, Igor Markevitch, Henryk Szeryng, Isaac Stern, Radu Lupu, Peter Schrier, Tabea Zimmermann and Yefim Bronfman. In recent years, one of the most notable premieres performed by the orchestra was The Seven Gates of Jerusalem by Polish composer Krzystof Penderecki, conducted by Maestro Lorin Maazel, which was composed for the finale of the Jerusalem 3000 celebrations.

Throughout the years the orchestra produced the Liturgical Festival, founded by Maestro Gary Bertini, who also extended the scope of the orchestra and its repertoire by extending the number of musicians from around fifty to ninety. Wikipedia