The Soraya presents the Israel Philharmonic with Music Director and Conductor Lahav Shani in his United States debut tour on Saturday, November 5.
[NoHo Arts District, CA] – An evening of firsts – the Israel Philharmonic makes a historic Soraya debut of new music director Lahav Shani who inherited the role from Los Angeles’ beloved Zubin Mehta. Maestro Shani will provide The Soraya another milestone – the first-ever Mahler symphony to resound in the Great Hall. Dedicated to inspiring Israel’s creative artists and composers, the Israel Philharmonic will open the concert with the foremost Israeli composer of classical music, Paul Ben-Haim, whose works uplifted Jewish life as the nation of Israel was first forming in the shadow of World War II.
“Numerous aspects of this concert are cause for great excitement,” said Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber. “First, maestro Shani was scheduled to perform at The Soraya in the spring of 2020 with our extensive Violins of Hope programming. Of course, the pandemic made that concert impossible, so we are ecstatic to have this subsequent opportunity to present such an important young artist in the world of classical music.”
“Second, the first Mahler symphony in our venue is a notable milestone. Finally, not only are we proud to host the IPO for the first time in our venue, in such an extraordinary acoustical environment, but we are also keenly aware that by having the IPO in the Valley, they will be in the midst of one of the nation’s largest Jewish populations. This type of community-building is central to all that we do at The Soraya.”
The Israel Philharmonic is the leading orchestra in Israel, and globally recognized as a world-class symphonic ensemble. They return to the U.S. on the first North American tour led by their new Music Director, Lahav Shani in his U.S. debut. Maestro Shani has established himself as one of the world’s most talked about young conducting talents and is considered an inspiring successor to the legendary Maestro Mehta who led the orchestra for over 50 years.
What:
The Israel Philharmonic
Program:
Paul Ben-Haim, Symphony No. 1
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 1
When:
The Israel Philharmonic will perform on Saturday, November 5 at 8pm.
Where:
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330.
Tickets:
Tickets are $95 -$215 and can be purchased at www.TheSoraya.org.
818-677-3000
About the Israel Philharmonic
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is one of Israel’s oldest and most influential cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1936, the Orchestra has dedicated itself to presenting the world’s greatest music to audiences in Israel and around the world. Founded by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra represents the fulfillment of his dream “to unite the desire of the country for an orchestra with the desire of the Jewish musicians for a country.”
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 enjoyed long-lasting relationships with renowned soloists and conductors which have kept it at the forefront of the classical music world.
About Israel Philharmonic Music Director Lahav Shani
Lahav Shani became Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic in 2020. Since his conducting debut with the orchestra in October 2013, he has conducted it every season. His close relationship with the Israel Philharmonic began in his youth, when he performed as pianist in a Youth Concert, and in 2007 he appeared as soloist under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He went on to play regularly with the orchestra as a pianist and double bassist.
In 2013, Shani rose to fame after winning the prestigious Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg. Since 2018, he has been serving as Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the youngest conductor to hold the position in the orchestra’s history. From 2017 to 2020, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
Maestro Shani has appeared as guest conductor with the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Swedish Philharmonic and Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra. He also works regularly with the Staatskapelle Berlin, both in opera productions and symphonic concerts.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1989, Shani began his piano studies at age six with Hannah Shalgi and continued at the Thelma Yellin High School. He studied with Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University. He completed his studies at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler, Berlin, where he studied conducting with Prof. Christian Ehwald and piano with Prof. Fabio Bidini. He was mentored by Daniel Barenboim during his studies.
In July 2018, Shani made his piano recital debut at the Boulez Saal in Berlin. He has appeared as solo pianist under the baton of Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Valery Gergiev with many orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw, Vienna Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin and Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra. An experienced chamber musician, he is a regular performer at the Verbier Festival, and has also appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival and the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival.
About the Israel Philharmonic Program
Written during the first years of World War II, Paul Ben-Heim’s fiercely dramatic First Symphony intermingles the anguish of the composer’s world with the joy and beauty of his homes for peace. Lahav Shani leads the Israel Philharmonic in an evening that concludes with Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, replete with pastoral scenes and nods toward the composer’s Jewish roots.
About the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
Located on the vibrant and diverse campus of California State University in the heart of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) continues its vigorous commitment to innovating, excelling, and amplifying access by offering a wide variety of performances that reflect LA’s many distinctive communities and featuring new and original work from the Los Angeles region as well as artists from around the world.
The Soraya’s 2022-23 season offers a joy-filled reunion featuring a vibrant program of nearly 50 classical and popular music, dance, theater, family, and international events that will further establish it as one of the top arts companies in Southern California that uplifts and inspires its audiences.