Jerusalem Oratorio

Jerusalem Oratorio is the largest choral enterprise in Israel, with some 140 singers, both professional and amateur. The choir was founded in 1987 as an initiative of Mr. Yehuda Fikler and with the support of the Jerusalem Foundation and the Culture Department of the Jerusalem Municipality.

The Jerusalem Oratorio Choir consists of five different choirs, each working on its own repertoire throughout the season, joining up on occasion for collaborations between two or more choirs, and meeting throughout the year to prepare for the annual Gala Concert. All in all, Oratorio’s choirs perform about 20 concerts every year.

Over the years the choir has performed with notable conductors and orchestras in Israel’s major festivals, including the Israel Festival, the now defunct Liturgica festival, Abu Gosh festival and the Jerusalem Festival for the Arts. Oratorio has performed overseas in the UK, Italy, Romania, France and Germany. In 2006, as part of the Israeli-German Philharmonic Orchestra project, conductor Ronen Borshevsky has led Oratorio together with a German choir in a tour of Germany, conducting, among other performances, Elijah (Mendelssohn) at Leipzig’s Gewandhaus and Munich’s Herkulessaal.

Apart from its various concert performances Oratorio has appeared on countless media broadcasts and has released 8 CDs.

The repertoire of the large Oratorio choir spans a wide range of works – from early to contemporary music, and includes pieces such as Gloria (Vivaldi), Mozart’s Great Mass, Die Schöpfung (Haydn), Fauré’s Requiem, Elijah and Psalms (Mendelssohn), Masses by Rossini, Schubert, Poulenc, Ariel Ramirez, John Rutter, Handel and others, various choral opera pieces, as well as vocal folklore music in various languages, Jewish music, Israeli popular music and more.

Conductors who have directed the orchestra since its inception include Oscar Gershensohn, Gerardo Edelstein, Laya Silber, Yoval Ben Ozer, Hanna Zur, Pauls Putnins, Ronen Borshevsky, Oded Shomrony, Ofer dal Lal, and, as of the 2014-2015 season – Naama Nazrati-Gordon.

Past managing directors were Yehuda Fikler, Haggai Goren, Rashi Levaot and, since October 2013, Oratorio is managed by Dalia Poran. A board of singer, representing the five choirs, operates alongside the conductors and directors. The choir is accompanied year-round by pianist Rina Shechter and Marina Shaevich.

 In 2001, Oratorio made the transition to become an independent member-based non-profit association, and today it continues to receive annual funding from the Israel Ministry of Culture and Sport and the Jerusalem Municipality.