How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!
The old joke became reality for the Maale Adumim Youth Symphony, a 49-member orchestra made up of talented teens residents of this Jerusalem suburb. The young musicians were invited to play an afternoon show on November 22 at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall.
Under the baton of Benjamin Shapira, they rehearsed a program beginning with the American and Israeli national anthems and continuing with a global assortment of compositions by Mikhael Glinka (Russia), Jean Sibelius (Finland), Edvard Grieg (Norway), Johann Strauss (Austria), Antonin Dvorak (Czech Republic) and Arturo Marquez (Mexico).
The four-year-old orchestra from Israel took third place in the Bratislava International Competition for Youth Symphonies last July, leading to the Carnegie Hall gig.
The group includes violins, violas, cellos, flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, French horns, trombones, a tuba, and various percussion instruments.
At home, they practice and perform in the new George and Irina Schaeffer Cultural Center and music conservatory, dedicated on October 11 in a ceremony featuring congratulatory remarks from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev.
Fighting for Israel's truth
We cover what makes life in Israel so special — it's people. A non-profit organization, ISRAEL21c's team of journalists are committed to telling stories that humanize Israelis and show their positive impact on our world. You can bring these stories to life by making a donation of $6/month.
