About

The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (JSO) is coming to Lithuania for the first time. Since its formation in 1938, it has played an important role in the development of the cultural sphere of the State of Israel, starting with the careers of the world’s finest musicians and promoting Israeli composers. Famous conductors, composers and soloists, including Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Otto Klemperer, Arthur Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pablo Casals, Krzysztof Penderecki, Mischa Maisky and others, have travelled eagerly to the Holy Land to work with JSO. The orchestra has toured Europe and the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Japan and the United Arab Emirates, and has performed in venues such as Vienna’s Musikverein, philharmonic halls of Cologne, Berlin and Munich, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. The orchestra now aims to become the all-encompassing “Sound of Jerusalem” and to be the city’s cultural ambassador to the world by presenting multi-faith music festivals. Tonight, together with soloists and conductors, the orchestra offers works by Krzysztof Penderecki, Mieczysław Weinberg, Ferenc Liszt and Antonín Dvořák.

Julian Rachlin, the world-renowned violinist, conductor and pedagogue, is the artistic director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Born in Vilnius, Rachlin later emigrated to Austria with his family. He is considered one of the most amazing violinists and has appeared with orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, Berlin Konzerhaus, New York, Vienna, Israel Philharmonic, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus and many more. A passionate performer of chamber music, the violinist has performed for many years with Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Janine Jansen, Mischa Maisky and others, and has collaborated with several music festivals.

Canadian violist Sarah McElravy has appeared in venues around the world, including  Musikverein in Vienna, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall, as well as the Prague Spring Festival, the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, the Beethoven Festival, and the Kronberg Academy Festival. In 2014, she founded the Mexican Chamber Music Society, which organizes educational programmes and concerts for young people.

Pianist Alon Kariv has won first prizes in all Israeli national competitions and was also a prize-winner at the international piano competitions in Manchester and New York at the Kaufman Music Center. The young pianist has appeared with the Israel Philharmonic, Jerusalem, Haifa, the Berlin Radio, the Kiev Virtuosi symphony orchestras, the English Chamber Orchestra and others; has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall and the Lincoln Center. 

The concert features conductor Michael Mering, who currently serves as assistant to Maestro Rachlin in the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, he won the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors and Hong Kong International Conducting Competition.

The concert is partly funded by the Ministry of Culture’s Professional Art Promotion Program