Renowned Israel Philharmonic Embarks on Five-City US Tour in Florida and California, March 19–26
Miami, West Palm Beach, Palm Desert, San Francisco, Costa Mesa
Performing Works by Avni, Bernstein, Bruch, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky
[Shani] established an exquisite balance from the opening bars, spinning out golden spools of sound…he never shortchanged the work’s lyricism, its melodic lines mighty and inexorable.”
–Musical America
(on Shani’s recent appearance with Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
New York, NY: January 22, 2025 — The Israel Philharmonic (IPO) returns to the United States for a five-city tour, March 19–26, 2025, conducted by Music Director Lahav Shani. The tour is presented by American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic (AFIPO), and it marks the orchestra’s first return to the US since its 2022 tour, when Shani made his US debut as Music Director. Pfizer is the Israel Philharmonic US Tour Presenting Sponsor.
On the 2025 US tour, the orchestra performs great works of classical music from the 19th and 20th centuries. A beloved work in the classical canon, Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, “Scottish,” was composed after Mendelssohn visited Scotland and was inspired by the country’s natural beauty. Each program on the tour also features a symphony by Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 or Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.”
Several cities on the tour will hear three works that were directly inspired by or written for the Jewish community. Prayer is a 1961 work for string orchestra by Tzvi Avni, written in honor of his father who was killed in 1938 during the 1936–39 Arab Revolt. In 2001, Avni was awarded the Israel Prize, the greatest honor bestowed upon artists in Israel. Following the IPO’s most recent performance of Prayer in Tel Aviv, Avni wrote to the orchestra, “Prayer has received several performances over the years. But the performance of the work this time by the Israel Philharmonic was especially moving.”
VIDEO: Tzvi Avni: Prayer, for String Orchestra – Lahav Shani, conductor
Bruch’s Kol Nidrei (1880) draws its title from the powerful prayer recited on the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. The solo cello imitates the lilting voice of the synagogue’s cantor; Bruch himself was inspired by the cantor-in-chief of Berlin, to whom he was introduced by his teacher. Bruch wrote, “Even though I am a Protestant, as an artist I deeply felt the outstanding beauty of these melodies and therefore I gladly spread them through my arrangement.”
Bernstein’s Halil (1981) is dedicated to the memory of Israeli flutist Yadin Tanenbaum, who was killed on October 7, 1973 during the Yom Kippur war — ironically, exactly 50 years before the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel. “Halil” means “flute” in Hebrew, and the work’s solo flute part is performed on this tour by Principal Flute Guy Eshed. The Israel Philharmonic gave the work’s world premiere in 1981, conducted by the composer, and has performed it many times since then. Eshed says, “Playing this powerful piece is so meaningful because what are we fighting for, if not for culture and art? The fact that we are all here together, giving some serenity in this wildness outside, means everything.” In this video, Eshed speaks with Yadin Tanenbaum’s sister, Ella Tanenbaum-Koren.
VIDEO: Bernstein: Halil, Nocturne for Flute and Orchestra – Guy Eshed, Flute, Lahav Shani, Conductor
Music Director Lahav Shani underscores the importance of art in difficult times. “The Israel Philharmonic remains deeply committed to the power of art and its ability to inspire, connect, and heal,” said Shani. “The programs we’ve chosen for this tour showcase the IPO as a truly world-class orchestra, continuing to create and uplift, even — or perhaps especially — in the most difficult of times. This tour holds deep personal and musical significance for me, and it is an honor to return to the United States and perform in some of the country’s leading arts centers, thanks to the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic. We look forward to sharing this great music with American audiences this spring.”
***
Israel Philharmonic US Concert Tour
Presented by American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic
March 19–27, 2025
MIAMI, FL
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Israel Philharmonic
Lahav Shani, Conductor
AVNI: Prayer
BRUCH: Kol Nidrei
BERNSTEIN: Halil
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6
Concert information & tickets
WEST PALM BEACH, FL
Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
Israel Philharmonic
Lahav Shani, Conductor
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3, in A Minor “Scottish”
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor
Concert information & tickets
PALM DESERT, CA
Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 7:30 pm
McCallum Theatre
Israel Philharmonic
Lahav Shani, Conductor
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3, in A Minor “Scottish”
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor
Concert information & tickets
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Davies Symphony Hall
Israel Philharmonic
Lahav Shani, Conductor
AVNI: Prayer
BRUCH: Kol Nidrei
BERNSTEIN: Halil
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6
Concert information & tickets
COSTA MESA, CA
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Israel Philharmonic
Lahav Shani, Conductor
AVNI: Prayer
BRUCH: Kol Nidrei
BERNSTEIN: Halil
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6
Concert information & tickets
The AFIPO presents benefit events connected to the tour stops in Miami, San Francisco, and Costa Mesa, as well as special benefit evenings in New York City (March 18) and Los Angeles (March 25). To learn more about these benefit evenings, visit AFIPO’s website.
***
ABOUT ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC
The Israel Philharmonic (IPO) is the leading orchestra in Israel and globally recognized as a world class symphonic ensemble. Founded in 1936 by famed Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, the IPO performs regularly in its home, the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, as well as across Israel, including Jerusalem and Haifa. Additionally, it tours internationally, from Europe to Asia to North and South America. Since its inception, the IPO has stood for humanitarian principles, artistic freedom, and the tireless pursuit of musical excellence.
“Displaying the frighteningly fast reflexes of, say, a great fencer, Shani exalted in a kind of virtuosic suddenness. He makes music of the moment and of the nano-second, and the shock coefficient is often high. But the immediacy is thrilling.”
—Los Angeles Times
“[The performance] had punch and pungency, with sharper accents and more exquisitely molded lyrical passages. They really sold the piece, and they got a terrific ovation in response.”
—San Francisco Classical Voice
“They delivered big sound and a clear understanding of where the music wants to go, which resulted in an enjoyable evening.”
—Seen and Heard International
“Conducting from memory, [Shani] consolidated the entire arch of the symphonic discourse into a consistent statement, while fashioning with great care the individuality of each of the movements.”
—Bachtrack