JOINT AD-VENTURES Festival Report 2009 “Music must serve a purpose; Consolato Generale d’Italia it must be a part of a Gerusalemme something larger than itself, a part of humanity...” Pau (Pablo) Casals, 1876-1973 ROYAL DANISH ROYAL OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE Embassy of Spain – Tel Aviv NYXAS The Sounding Jerusalem Festival Chamber Music Festival 2009 Austrian Music Encounter registered non-profi t association | ZVR: 241314821 c/o Dr. Rainer Beck | Keesgasse 7 | A-8010 Graz [email protected] Coverphoto: Christian Jungwirth, BIGSHOT; Photos: The Sounding Jerusalem Festival; Layout: Alexander Baldele, www.nyxas.com 3 “Music must serve a purpose; it must be a part of something larger than itself, a part of humanity...” Pau (Pablo) Casals, 1876-1973 Joint Ad-Ventures Preface Sounding Jerusalem 2009 has been a festival of intense encounters – in a musical, human and cultural aspect. Sounding Jerusalem succeeded in The diverse cultural traditions of Je- Sounding Jerusalem however is a winning an ensuing, always-broader rusalem’s melting pot get involved festival explicitly concerned in music audience in its fourth year. A grow- and confl ated into the artistic proc- and humans. The moment humans ing attendance of more than 4100 ess of the “Mélange Oriental” series engage in music, intimate personal visitors during the fi ne 20 concerts allowing the audience, just as well the feelings are automatically released, encouraged a creative exchange artists to overcome boarders through which is the most important func- within the festival. Sounding Jeru- music and to launch a vibrant crea- tion of music and art; to precipitate salem brought music to the people, tive process, enabling them not only something in humans. sometimes to regions where classi- to discover thrilling aspects of diver- I would like to thank all participants cal concerts erratically happen, cre- sity of the various cultures, but also of the Sounding Jerusalem Festivals ating a place where people can meet oneself. “Mélange Oriental” gave as well as our partners and support- without prejudices. birth to a dynamic composition re- ers who have helped us to bring this fl ecting cultural roots between past The festival ended with a spectacu- season of Sounding Jerusalem to and future with a distinctive token of lar fi nale up in the sky of Jerusalem’s fruition. entitlement to diversity. old city. The world premiere of “Je- rusalem Refrains” performed on the The simple fact that Sounding Jeru- roofs of the different quarters of the salem is equally open for all people old City of Jerusalem, a piece espe- of the region– specifi cally for Pales- cially composed for the evening by tinians and Israelis – has always trig- Erich Oskar Huetter German-American composer Sidney gered various reactions; This year we Director of the Sounding Corbett. A vision of the connection had to cancel one concert in the West Jerusalem Festival of different worlds in a town, where bank and change another concert people usually live more beside each venue in West Jerusalem on short other than with each other. notice due to the organisers demur. 3 Sounding Jerusalem 2009 Sounding Jerusalem Chamber Music festival in its fourth year, over a span of three weeks (07.06.2009 – 28.06.2009), created space for cultural as well as human encounter and exchange in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. It offered people from different reli- dies and sounds acoustically bridg- gious, ethnic and social backgrounds ing the fascinating aspects of cultural 20 gratuitous concerts on the highest diversity. artistic level. For the fi rst time Sound- This musical travel built bridges be- ing Jerusalem alongside the pure tween history and present times, be- exploration of the various traditions tween Orient and Occident as well as launched a joint artistic process in- the multi-faceted musical traditions. dependent of genres, styles, and cul- Mélange Oriental created a multi- tural backgrounds. perspective sound fantasy about the vibrant melting pot Jerusalem, re- fl ecting the city’s history and soul. Melange Oriental The sound adventure was enriched Alongside the classical western and by Austrian photographer Christian oriental Music, Mélange Oriental - Jungwirth’s collection of Jerusalem Sounding Jerusalem`s “Programme impressions, and French American in Residence” - invited the most out- photographer Amy Lyne’s study of standing festival artists of diverse “Very wonderful and poverty, with pictures from Angola, cultural and traditional backgrounds Ethiopia, Afghanistan and else- to join the ensemble for a delightful special Music Project in where. sound exploration of and in the mul- ticultural facet of Jerusalem’s Old Jerusalem – diff erent than City. the common Concerts Discourse of cultures In an attempt of an intensifi ed focus More than 70 Musicians from Austria, on the intercultural approach in proc- we are used to hear Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, ess, musicians from Europe and the Italy, Japan, Palestine and Spain re- Middle East traced together in nu- everywhere” siding 3-15 days in Jerusalem elated merous concerts the multiple voices Visitor comment and drew 4100 Palestinian, Israeli, of the Arab, Christian, Armenian and 28.06.2009 and European spectators into the dis- Jewish Quarter, their various melo- 4 5 course of cultures. Thanks to a large International artists A large number of the artists came media presence, the festival suc- from Austria. The pianist with unlim- The artists came from all over Europe ceeded in winning an always-broader ited musical horizons Paul Gulda; to participate in the Festival. From audience with an overall percentage Stefan Heckel, pianist, composer Germany: Firmian Lermer, soloist of 48.8% Palestinians, 31.1% Israelis, and catalyst of the Mélange Orien- and chamber musician, founder and and 20.1% Internationals attending tal series; Erich Huetter, cellist and director of the Wildthurner Kunst- the concerts. artistic director of the festival; the tage, Rainer Auerbach, solo trumpet famous Artis string quartet with the Considering travel hindrances for player of Berlin German Opera, who four Austrians Herbert Kefer, Jo- both Israelis and Palestinians in the lead the artistic direction of the final hannes Meissl, Othmar Müller and region, the festival enjoyed the par- roof concert. Peter Schumayer. The Festivals cul- ticipation of a diverse and colourful From France: André Cazalet, horn tural diversity has also been enriched public. soloist from the Orchestre de Paris; by Stefano Bagliano and Gianluca Though in most concerts in the Michel Lethiec, world recognized Capuano both specialised in authen- West Bank one could see an over- clarinettist and director of Prades tic interpretation of Baroque Music represented majority of Palestinians, festival; Modigliani Quartet, one of from Italy, Lavard Skou-Larsen the one could see especially in Jericho the world’s most sought after young Danish violin soloist; the Spanish a growing number of Israeli visitors, chamber ensembles, as well as the Casals Quartet, one of Europe’s most and vice versa in Jerusalem. Trio d’Argent. distinguished string quartets, as well 4 5 Venues Many of the concert venues of Sounding Jerusalem Festival were chosen this year not only among un- conventional, historically and spiritu- ally important sights, but also soci- ety based institutions, some of which opened its doors to the public for the first time. Symbolic for the encounters are the Shurouk Youth Centre in the Stu- dents town of Birzeit, just as much the Saint Vincent Home for Physically and Mentally Handicapped Children in En Karem under the Palm trees of its court yard and into a beauti- ful sunset. Another sounding sunset was that of the private roof terrace of the Padico Foundation in the old city, a panoramic concert venue in view of the Dome of the Rock. The list goes on and on with the hos- pitality of the village of Ras Karkar at the heart of its proud daring Samhan Castle, the resonating amphitheatre of Sabastia, the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, the famous Pascha Room of the American Colony Hotel, and the dawn chorus of the Mount of as Ahmad Eid the brilliant Palestin- Puppets were created by using basic Temptations. ian jazz artist; the Palestinian Israeli materials and simple objects available Sounding Jerusalem Festival ended virtuoso oriental Watar Ensemble; in every home. The participants were for the second year in a row with a Taiseer Elias on the Oud and Arnon challenged not only to express their poignant attempt to build a bridge Erez on the Piano from the world ideas in words and gestures, but also of sound across the city, to link its known Rubin Academy. to find out how to express their feel- roof tops with music. A vision over ings through the music. the roofs, created by 35 young wind and brass instrument players from Puppet Theatre Austria, Germany, France, Japan, Within the festival’s framework Austri- Israel, and Palestine performing a an Puppeteers Christine Trausner and piece especially composed for this Andreas Milowitz took children and evening by Sidney Corbett. The youth in 10 workshops with them on young artists sent a sounding mes- an adventurous discovery trip into the sage in the evening sky of Jerusalem, magical world of puppet theatre art. binding the quarters of the Old City. After the concert, all musicians met The basic skills of telling a metaphoric in the courtyard of the Church of the story through a puppet were medi- Redeemer, where the concert was ated and tried out together. perpetuated with a brass ensemble 6 7 “Music might achieve what is not yet possible on the ground: the equal participation of an ethnic, religious and cultural diversity in a peaceful and stimulating dialogue.” and a Final Mélange. Audience and festival regards this inconvenience as Activate regional partnerships participating artists were yet again an important process, picturesquely Experiences from the previous festi- thrilled of enthusiasm for this unique presenting the social realities, hence vals have allowed a close collabora- project.