An interview with Maestro Julian Rachlin and Ofer Amsalem, CEO of the JSO

November 23, 2024
An interview with Maestro Julian Rachlin and Ofer Amsalem, CEO of the JSO

Maestro Rachlin, how are you? it's a good thing we managed to talk. Perhaps we should start by you telling us how you have approached the planning of the new season?



"This year we continue the process which we began last year - to grow and evolve, to clear and emphasize the unique identity of the orchestra. There is something profound ihte the JSO's dna: a willingness to make an effort and to rise above all circumstances. Everyone working with the orchestra feels it: there is a tremendous desire here, a hunger and a will to aim for the highest level. This is being felt in every rehearsal and we strive to present the audience with our character and the special relationship that I have with the players. There are many good orchestras out there, but concerts of the JSO are different - they have a different energy. This is soemthing unique, and this is the main thing we are working on - to strengthen our identity, aour musical signature, so when tou turn on the radio and come across one of our concerts you would say "wow, this is something really special. This is a trait which characterizes the truly great orchestras."

 

"To fulfill this vision it is absolutely essential that the orchestra works with artists of the highest level on a regular basis. Our guest conductors and soloists this season are of the highest calibre and work with the world's greatest orchestras on a regular basis. Some of them are established artists, such as Leonard Slatkin, while others are upcoming stars, such as Edgar Moreau or Julia Hagen, who are both young cellists. And also our tours this season - nine concerts held at Europe's most central halls, with top soloists such as Gautier Capuçon and Ivo Pogorelić - are here to illustrate that we are part of a global community in that sense."

"So to achieve this goal it does take a long process, an infinite one actually, of improvement and striving for excellence. For example, most of this season's concerts are performed twice, three times and even more. Eventually, we do all that so that the audience knows and feels that the JSO is seomthing unique, and for the listeners to be able to say proudly that they too are a part of this unique legacy."

 

Tell us a little about the plans for the upcoming season

"So of coures we will continue to offer our own interpertation for the great masterpieces such as "Pictures at an Exhibition" or symphonies by Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Brahms and Shostakovich."

 

"This year I will be celebrating my 50th and I decided ti give my self a present: to finally perform a symphony by Mahler. So we will perform Mahler's Symphony No. 1, in a concert in which I will also perform Brhams Triple Concerto with three of my closest friends - Boris Brovtsyn, Alexei Volodin and Edgar Moreau. When there is a human and a friendly connection between the conductor, it adds, for me, an additional and different dimension, and this birthday concerts will include not one bt three friends! So this should provide this concert with an atmosphere of a true celebration. Boris (Brovtsyn) is one of today's greatest violinists, we listened to Alexei right at the end of last season, and Edgar is an extraordinary French cellist. Because of the demanding part which Beethoven composed for the cellist, it is regarded by many and Beethoven's "Unofficial Cello Concerto", so Edgar should have a most enjoyable experience. It's a wonderful programme."

 

And what can you tell us about the team of artists you have assembled for the upcoming season?

 

"We have amazing soloists coming this year. For example Denis Kozhukhin, who is one of the world's leading pianists and only collaborates with the best artists (Kozhukhin will perform with the JSO following a tour of chamber recitals with violinist Janine Jansen).

 

"This year's conductors are also of the highest level. Omer Meir Welber, who conducted this season's opening concert, is of course one of the most active and intriguing conductors in recent years. George Pehlivanian is also a wonderful conductor (a year ago Sony Classical released a lost recording from 1995, in which Pehlivanian conducts Elgar Cello Concerto with the London Philharmonic and soloist Ofra Har Noi - (ed.))."

 

"And of course there's the concert with Leonard Slatkin. Actually we have two jubilees  - not just my birthday, but also Maestro Slatkin's. Our friendship spreads over 30 years and I had convinced him to come and celebrate his

80th birthday. This will be Sltakin's first performance with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra."

 

"We will have a concert with Kirill Karabits - an excellent conductor! And in this concert there will be two highly-requested soloist in recent years: young cellist Julia Hagen, who really only performs with the world's top orchestras; and Arabella Steinbacher, who really belongs to the Crème de la crème, the very top of soloists around the world, and over the years we have had amazing experiences in our performances together. All these serve as witnesses to indicate that gradually and persistently we are taking it to the next level, with the scale of the artists who come and perform with us. The JSO team has worked tirelessly to expose for our, those who are still not familiar with with these great artists, and whoever wants to see for themselves, are welcome to read more about them on google."

 

And how do local musicians fit in all this?


"Very much similarly to the close collaboration we had with cellist Danielle Akta last season, Benjamin Yusupov is a sort of a local hero. Yusupov is one of the most distinguishable voices in Israel, and is well recognized throughout the world. In my first concert this season we will be performing 'Festive Tempo' and in my last concert this season we will perform his Viola Concerto, with of the greates violists of our time (Julian says with a smile, as Sarah McElravy, the soloist, is his partner, and the concerto was composed especially for the couple and is called 'Transcendent Love'.

 

I'm looking at the works we will be performing this season, and alongside the well-known monumental works there are a few which not so familiar, such as Gubaidulina's Violin Concerto, which you are about to perform in February.

 
"Most certainly. It is important the the audience's experience is varied throughout the season. I am grateful to the entire team - and also the guest conductors. Even though I have my own vision, at the same time I am open to suggestions made by the guest conductors and glad when they bring up their own ideas for new works they would like to introduce to the audience."

 

 

These are no simple times we live in, and I am certain that the events of last year had an influence on this season's planning and artist selection. How does the ongoing war effects the structure of the current season?

"Look, the JSO is capable to jump over mountains. I am not saying that the quality of the orchestra will change by itself, and naturally this is what is expected to happen in light of the quality of the artists the JSO is working with today on a regular basis. For me this aspect is of the highest importance in the process on which we are working."

"Therefore I am so grateful to the artists who are willing to come here hese days. Of course there are others for whom Israel is not part of the list of placed they would like to visit. We have to accept it, and therefore it even more important that we remember and appreciate those artists who did arrive last season, without really understanding if it is safe here or not. We feel gratitude to those artists."

 

"I remember it from my visit at the Philharmonic during the Intifada. Zubin (Mehta) drove me to the airport himself! It is most unusual but Israel is a place which cannot be compared with other places. For me it is important to bring the message of music expecially during times of crisis, and so I am grateful to our team - Ofer, Misha (Gurfinkel, our musical coordinator), and Slava (the JSO's producer), for the fact that we succeeded, despite all the problems we had, to bring together and present such a shining season.

Thank you Julian, this all sounds thrilling and intriguing. See you in Khol HaMoed Sukkot! 

*           *           *


Hi Ofer. I've been speaking to Maestro Rachlin and it sounds like he has some great plans for the orchestra.

"We all do. The management and the artistic team see eye to eye, and it is our duty to ensure we are successful in ensuring that we are able to materialize this exciting and unique vision - An orchestra of the city of Jerualem in its profound meaning.

 

So besides the Classical series we have no less than nine other series.

 

"That's correct. This year we have ten series, distinguished by their artistic approach, style, audience and the kind of experience each of them offer. We have popular music series, a sing-along series, series for young people and for the golden age, a series of Jewish music and a series for music lovers who like to have a more in-depth experience."

 

A real mosaic of sounds.

 

"Exactly. That's the idea. "A perfect mosaic of sounds" is actually the JSO's motto nowadays. Look, we are an orchestra of the city of Jerusalem and in recent years we make a special effort in order ti realy understand the meaning of this unique status. Jerusalem belongs to everyone. Really everyone, all over the world. Therefore it is important for us to open and invite different audiences and diverse communities and we try and reach the hearts and sometimes the real geographical area of a variety of audiences."

 

 

Tell us a bit about the different series.

"So for example, those different series are an example of our attempts to reach different audiences and to bring people from all walks of life closer to us."

"Looking at the broader audience the orchestra will collaborate with the well-loved conductor Gil Shohat, Gil Shohat's Great Series - consisting of three concerts which cross borders and styles. Gil will host top artists from thw worlds of music and theatre in Israel, including Pablo Rosenberg, Natan Datner and Roni Dalumi."

 

"For lovers of Classical music we offer two in-depth series (in addition to Maestro Rachlin's series - the Classical Series and the Chamber Series): Maestro Leon Botstein's Explorations in Music Series and a series which brings the piano to the fore, in different types of sometimes unexpected concerts."

 

"There are two series which invlove the community, led by conductor Roni Porat: The Classical Fun Family Series and the Conductor's Talk Series, a series of concerts which take place during the mornings, and are available at a reduced price for elderly citizens. 

"There is also a series titled Sing-along with the Orchestra, with musical arranger and conductor Eldad Shrem. Four concerts devoted to significant landmarks in the story of Israeli music: songs of the army bands, the musicians whi came out from the "Lool" group and it's influence on Israeli music, Israeli music of the 70's - a decade with artists suce as Ehud Manor, Matti Caspi, Shlomo Gronich and others, and to the songs by Shrem himself.

 

In the framework of the Opera at the JSO series the orchestra will take part in two productions: Madama Butterfly by Puccini, co-produced with the Jerusalem Opera and Der Fledermaus, a co-production with the Vienna Tel Aviv Vocal Connection (postponed, new dates TBA). and we will also have concerts which combine Jewish music with Classical music and opera.

Piyut singers, cantors and musicians witll be our guests on the Jewish Music Series - with Elli Jaffe, Colin Schachat and Simon Cohen, to name but a few.

 

That's really a lot of concerts.

 

"Indeed. We are about to perform over a hundred concerts, with no less than ten series as well as special concerts. This is unprecedented in Israel. It is also important to mention that the JSO also performs on the 'national' level, i.e not only in Jerusalem. In the upcoming season the JSO will be performing also in Tel Aviv, Bber Sehva, Ashdod, Ofakim, Ashkelon, Herzliya, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, Kiryat Motzkin and Petah Tikva."

Ofer, that's quite an amount of work right there..

"Which we do with love and from the bottom of our hearts. Truly so.

 

 

(Interviewer: Eran Sachs Dominiano)