Paul Rose – Jerusalem Conservatory Hassadna
A week has passed since my wife and I had the privilege of seeing this incredibly talented group of young musicians perform down the road from us here in the UK at the Watford School of Music and I am still astounded at the level of musicianship and talent that was displayed.
The concert was organised by our friends Ronnie and Eva Levene in aid of The Jonathan Levene Music Scholarship, set up in memory of their son Jonathan, who tragically died in a road accident in 1990, at the age of 18.
The scholarship provides financial support for needy and talented music students in the UK and Israel and the Conservatory is currently the main beneficiary of their largesse.
The seven young musicians, who ranged in age from thirteen to eighteen, were accompanied by the Executive Director Lena Nemirovsky and two other teachers. The love and affection between the students and teachers was heart warming both in its openness and obvious sincerity.
In her introductory remarks, Lena emphasised the fact that the Conservatory was responsible for bringing together young people from Jerusalem’s diverse range of communities who would otherwise never meet. Religious, secular, Jews, Arabs, children with disabilities, children from the Ethiopian community and new immigrants from every corner of the globe are all able to get together and share the common language of music. Many lifelong friendships have been and continue to be forged between the most unlikely of people as a result of their shared love of making music.
We were treated to some two hours of the most breathtakingly beautiful and accomplished performances that would put many professionals to shame. The students all performed both a solo and ensemble piece, all of which were listened to in stunned silence by the audience and followed by rapturous applause. The students, although nervous at first, soon relaxed and were clearly enjoying themselves as much as the audience.
Some seven hundred students, from age 3 to 18 attend the Conservatory in their free time and they take great care to match each student with the most suitable instrument and to craft personalised courses that will bring out the best of their individual abilities. Personal and professional support is absolutely central to their ethos and this was clearly on display at the concert.
We have been invited to visit the Conservatory when we are next in Jerusalem and are very much looking forward to meeting more of these incredible students.
If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of their concerts don’t miss it, you will not be disappointed!
http://www.jerusalemconservatory.org/
