Michael Wolpe - 'JMI Visiting Composer from Israel'

Michael Wolpe was born in 1960 in Tel Aviv, and after completing agricultural high school and army service he combined two boyhood dreams: to compose and to work the land. He studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance - where he how teaches - and obtained his Masters Degree at the University of Cambridge with a thesis on Ralph Vaughan Williams.

He chose to be a member of the kibbutz Sde Boker which Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, joined in his desire to serve as an example in settling the uninhabited expanses of the Negev desert. Wolpe believes it is not enough to be just an artist in Israel, but one must also be involved in building society. Wolpe does so by teaching music to youth in the Negev region and in Jerusalem. He is a founder of Caprisma, a Jerusalem chamber ensemble.

Wolpe is considered one of the outstanding representatives of the third generation of Israeli composers. His compositions are performed in Israel and abroad and are inspired by many facets of Israel - by the founding fathers of Israeli music such as Paul Ben Haim, but also by Arabic music, Jewish folk music, biblical themes and even Rock 'n Roll. One of Wolpe's most important sources of inspiration is said to be the desert itself that surrounds his home.

Wolpe's music is performed throughout Israel and he has also received international recognition. His concerto for cello which is a descriptive piece about his family's life in Europe until its immigration to Israel had its première performance in Frankfurt, Germany in 1998, to mark Israel's 50th anniversary, with cellist Julius Berger. 'The Return of the Jackals,' for accordion, mandolin and the sounds of live jackals was first performed in 2000 in Amman, Jordan, and in 2001 in Beersheba by the Israel Sinfonietta.

Michael Wolpe is the founder and musical director of the festival called 'Music in the Desert' which is held each December at Kibbutz Sde Boker and sites in the vicinity. Here he presents a mix of Israeli music and works from the European canon. He encourages established and emerging Israeli composers to write and present their works especially for the festival.

Michael Wolpe, has been chosen as the 2nd JMI Visiting Composer from Israel to succeed professor Menachem Wiesenberg whom Wolpe considers 'one of the greatest Israeli composers today'. Michael Wolpe writes: ' As you may know, for the last decade I have been involved in all kinds of projects of Israeli music. As the Head of Composition and Conducting Department in the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, I hope to create all kinds of connections and projects between Israeli and British musicians'.

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