The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated its 70th anniversary this week, performing the works of Mozart, Schumann, and Brahms under direction of Zubin Mehta in a special celebration concert.
Israel’s Education Minister Yuli Tamir attended the concert in Jerusalem, which was broadcast live on public television.
The program included Mozart’s “Jupiter” symphony, Schumann's piano concerto, and Brahm's concerto for violin and cello.
The Israel Philharmonic was once known as the Palestine Orchestra giving its first concert on December 26, 1936 in Tel Aviv under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. This was 12 years before Israel gained its independence.
Today the orchestra consists of 110 musicians who give more than 200 concerts a year in Israel and abroad.
Among the performers were virtuoso musicians: Daniel Barenboim, Shlomo Mintz, Yitzhak Perelman, Pinchas Zuckerman, Noam Sharif, and Gary Bertini.