JMI Visiting Composer from Israel

An innovative JMI FIM project is to appoint a ' Visiting Composer from Israel ' and facilitate workshops, masterclasses, seminars and exchanges between professors and students in British and Israeli Music Colleges.

2004 – 2007 Menachem Wiesenberg
2008 -           Michael Wolpe

Michael Wolpe

'JMI Visiting Composer from Israel' 2008
Michael Wolpe, the Head of Composition, Conducing and Music Theory at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, (formerly the Rubin Academy) will visit the UK several times over the next three years. He is creating meaningful connections with lectures, workshops and masterclasses, between British and Israeli musicians and institutions across the country. He was the Artistic Advisor for the JMI Jewish Culture Day 2008 - Musical Dialogues: British and Israeli Music on the Southbank on 30 November and is a member of the Advisory panel for the International Conference on Israeli music taking place in London in March /April 2011 (Click the Activities link on the right for Conference details) JMI is commissioning a work from Wolpe for Arabic and western instruments. Click here for a full biography.

Menachem Wiesenberg with Malcolm Singer, Head of Music at the Yehudi Menuhin School, at the premiere of Wiesenberg’s Concertante for Classical and Klezmer Violin and String Orchestra (commissioned by JMI FIM) at the Arts Depot in Finchley.

Activities offered by Visiting Composer from Israel.

Michael offers a range of activities from Illustrated talks on 'Music in Israel - Between East and West: The evolution of distinctive Israeli styles and techniques both in art and popular music.' He also offers masterclasses and seminars for composers, instrumentalists and singers as well as one- or more day programmes for music colleges featuring one or a group of composers. He is establishing exchanges of professors and students with the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

Menachem Wiesenberg

Wolpe follows the inaugural Visiting Composer from Israel Menachem Wiesenberg, 2005 to 2007, who successfully opened the programme. Wiesenberg, a prolific composer, pianist and arranger, delivered lectures and masterclasses at schools, universities and colleges including the Guildhall School of Music, The Royal Northern College, The Yehudi Menuhin School and SOAS.  Wiesenberg’s music has been and will be featured in many concerts and JMI commissioned a Double Violin Concerto for Klezmer and Classical Violin from him premiered in 2007 by the Yehudi Menuhin School Orchestra with Sophie Solomon and Dora Schwartz as soloists performance in 2007. Read how he summed up his three years (2004 – 2007) as the First Visiting Israeli Composer chosen by JMI. Click here for a biography of Menachem Wiesenberg.

Musical Holiday in Israel

JMI Forum for Israeli Music is creating a 3 or 4 week holiday in Israel for music students and practicing musicians to spend a week of workshops at the Jerusalem Academy of music and dance - a week or two on a kibbutz and end up at the Sfat klezmer Festival (or similar).  Please contact us if you would be interested in going on such a musical holiday to Israel.

Israeli Music Competition

There is a current Israeli music competition with prizes of £1000 being run by The Spiro Ark. See ‘Activities’ link on the right for this competition (Apply by Friday 7 May 2010).

Contact JMI for more details of any of the above:
t -  020 8909 2445  020 8909 2445
e - jewishmusic@jmi.org.uk

modified February 8, 2010