Download Israel Festival 2013

NEWS BULLETIN
14 April 2013
THE 52nd ISRAEL FESTIVAL, 23 MAY TO 22 JUNE 2013
The Israel Festival Jerusalem that began in 1961 with a modest series of classical concerts
in Caesarea has become not just one of the most important events in Israel’s cultural
calendar but also a festival of repute on the international stage. Today, the 52nd Israel
Festival (May 23 to June 22), is a three-week celebration of the performing arts featuring
tens of different events in dance, theater, jazz, classical, Israeli and world music, with
international and Israeli performers. The locations for the events include some of
Jerusalem’s iconic landmarks, including the Tower of David, the Jerusalem Lepers
Colony, the renovated and reopened First Train Station, Sultan’s Pool and Ein Kerem, as
well as the Jerusalem Theatre, the Gerard Behar Center, Mamilla, the YMCA and Beit
Shmuel. The festival venues reflect the vibrant diversity of Jerusalem’s cultural life, and
many of the performances were developed in relationship to the special places where
they will take place.
Some highlights from this year’s offerings:
In music: Israeli pianist and songwriter Shlomi Shaban will open the festival and launch
his new album at Jerusalem’s newest entertainment complex, the just-opened, renovated
First Railway Station (May 23), and hosting special guests Asaf Avidan, Berry Sakharof
and Ninet Tayeb. For the festival’s closing concert, Kaveret, one of Israel’s most popular
bands of all time, will perform at Sultan’s Pool. The festival will mark the 100th
anniversary of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring with a festive concert of the Jerusalem
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frederick Shazlan.
Other musical performances include Don Byron’s New Gospel Quintet, and a musical
project performed against the backdrop of the walls of the Old City by the State ChoirLatvia and Hortus Musicus, conducted by Andres Mastonen, entitled Holy City. The
Furst Railway Station in Jerusalem will host Israeli musician Daniel Zamir playing with
Nino Bitton; a new ensemble with Shlomo Bar, Riff Cohen and a concert for all ages
featuring the songs of Yonatan Geffen.
In dance: In a performance adapted to suit the unique aspects of the Tower of David,
Dressed to Dance will take place - a display of flamenco costumes from Madrid, several
designed by Dali and Picasso, to the accompaniment of live music. Israeli
choreographers Sharon Eyal and Guy Behar with their dance company L.E.V. will
present Housen, a site-specific version of House, adapted to the Hansen House site, home
of the former Jerusalem Lepers Colony in the Talbiya neighborhood. The building,
constructed in 1887, is renowned for its air of mystery. The choreographers describe
their temporary take-over of the former Lepers Colony as a conquest of “normal” social
perspectives on leprosy, lepers and the “other.”
Additional Israel Festival dance performances include, among others, the Grand Theatre
De Geneve, performing in Israel for the first time; the Emmanuel Gat Dance Company
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which will perform the Goldlandbergs in conjunction with Tel Aviv Dance; the world
premiere of a new work by Rami Be’er performed by the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance
Company, and a dance solo entitled Mr. Nice Guy by choreographer Anat Grigorio.
In theater: International theatre performances will include an English-language
performance of Hideki Noda’s The Bee, co-written by Hideki Noda and Colin Teevan.
Inspired by the events of 9/11, this play is about a Japanese man and his enraged
reaction when his wife and son are taken hostage. The 1927 theatre company from the
UK will perform The Animals and the Children Took to the Streets, .incorporating live music,
performance, storytelling and animation. Blind Summit Theatre, founded by Nick Barnes
and Mark Down, will be performing The Table, in which the cardboard-constructed
protagonist Moses shares his perspective on life.
www.israel-festival.org.il For tickets: 972 2 623 7000
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