Dear Friends,

Since its establishment more than forty years ago, the Jerusalem Music Center has played a key role in the development of Israeli talent throughout the country, regardless of their place of residence or economic status. Our main goal is to help develop each and every one of our students to the peak of their ability, along with their teachers, when their schools do not have the tools to perform. We create opportunities to perform chamber music in bringing students together, provide the best instructors from Israel and abroad, and share them playing in orchestral ensembles, where they play under the baton of conductors who specialize in connection with the younger generation.

One of the first teachers here was the renowned cellist, conductor and composer, Pablo Castles. I have had the privilege of working with Casales personally in Puerto Rico and these special musical moments in my life are besieged in my heart to this day. I can only imagine how our students felt when they were privileged to work with Kessels – it’s an experience you will never forget. A young student, in addition to being nurtured by his teachers, will receive extraordinary inspiration and excitement to work with someone at such a level. I believe that this should be granted to all our Israeli students.

Music is of course a complex subject – it is not just about beautiful sounds, pleasant harmonies and peaceful moments. On the contrary, music can be an opening for penetration into the depths of the soul, with all the philosophical, emotional and spiritual questions that bother a person. However, the most basic thing is to understand the language – to be aware of the laws and theories that form its foundations, so that the musical discourse will be meaningful, understandable. Above all, I want to encourage musicians to be more whole – so that they do not have to rely solely on their senses or the things their teachers tell them (even though both are important). They must use their personal knowledge in order to be successful in creating a performance that has natural truth and sincerity.

Our dream is that our students will achieve the highest level of musicality now and in the future. The talent is indeed there, and with your help we can be partners in one of the most worthy cultural initiatives in Israel.

your,