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Friday May 18, 2007

Jewish youth orchestras around the globe

England

In 1970 Sydney Fixman and Ralph Finley formed the Jewish Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. The orchestra is going strong, bringing together young Jewish musicians from throughout the United Kingdom.

Since its foundation, the orchestra’s repertoire has consisted of major works from the symphonic and concerto repertoire. It has played at well-known venues such as St John’s Church in Smith Square, the London Coliseum and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Israel

The Jewish state is home to two orchestral programs promoting coexistence and cross-cultural understanding through music.

The Jewish-Arab Youth Orchestra at Beit Alpert Music Center brings Jewish and Arab young people together through music. Founded in 1986, it is the only orchestra of its kind in Israel, and represents the potential for building links between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem.

In 1999, an Israeli and Palestinian started a summer workshop for young Jewish and Palestinian musicians. Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said brought together young people from the Middle East to combine musical study with developing cultural understanding. At the West-Eastern Divan Workshop, Palestinian and Israeli students live side-by-side. The first workshops took place in Weimar, Germany, and in Chicago; its permanent home is now Seville, Spain.

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Jewish Youth Orchestra began in 1999 under the banner of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony and its director, Noreen Green. Beginning in 2000, the orchestra was renamed the Stephen Wise Youth Orchestra and sponsored by the Stephen S. Wise Temple.

In 2004, the orchestra was renamed the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra to better reflect its representation of the entire community (members are from 60 different schools). The orchestra is open to students of all religious beliefs.

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