Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sponsor their own choirs, and several festivals are devoted to choral music — such as the vocal
music in the churches of Abu Ghosh. Musical performances, from recitals to full symphony
concerts, are held in a variety of venues, from the restored Roman amphitheaters in Caesarea
and Beit She'an to concert halls and art centers around the country.
Israel also hosts many world-class classical music events, such as the International Harp
Contest and the Arthur Rubinstein International Master Piano Competition. It also has local
festivals, such as the Music Festival at Kibbutz Ein Gev and the Chamber Music Festival at
Kibbutz Kfar Blum. The Israel Festival in Jerusalem is considered the most prestigious cultural
event in Israel. Though initially a classical music festival, today it includes jazz, Israeli music,
and other musical genres, as well as dance and theater performances by groups from all over
the world. The fi nal hallmark of the importance that classical music has gained in Israeli cul-
ture is the opening of various musicology departments and the establishment of research in
musicology at institutions of higher learning.
Jazz
Jazz has a major presence on Israel's music scene. There has been an explosion of talent, and
names like Iris and Ofer Portugali are prominent. The International Red-Sea Jazz Festival in
Eilat held every August has increased its popularity. Israeli performers have also done well
on the American jazz scene. The bassist and jazz composer Avishai Cohen was discovered
A performance by New Orleans's Los Hombres Calientes and the Olympia Brass Band at the annual Inter-
national Red-Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, August 2000. (Getty Images / Image Bank.)
