The Israel Camerata, Jerusalem is one of Israel’s leading orchestras today. The orchestra was founded in 1983 by Professor Avner Biron, who since then has been serving as music director and conductor. The Camerata performs more than 100 concerts a year in Israel and abroad and its activities include subscription series, festivals, special concerts and various projects involving musical education for school students and youth.

The orchestra’s broad repertoire includes works from Baroque to contemporary. The Camerata after also performs works from various periods that are only just now being discovered, as well as Israeli works and works specially commissioned for the orchestra.

Many of the orchestra’s players also perform and record as soloists and in chamber ensembles both in Israel and abroad.

During the coming season, the Camerata will perform various series for subscribers: the “Vocal and Instrumental” series, “Exceptional – Piano and Orchestra”, and a series entitled “A Bach Celebration”. The series will be performed in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kfar Shmariahu and at other locations around the country.

The longstanding and well-loved “Vocal and Instrumental” series that has acquired a loyal following of listeners, continues this coming season also with the best of vocal and instrumental works from various periods. Last season’s successful cooperation between the Israel Camerata and the Israel Opera will continue in this season’s “Bach Celebration” series solely dedicated to the instrumental works of the composer, and first ranking artists have been invited from Israel and abroad.

“Exceptional – Piano and Orchestra” belongs to the Camerata’s traditional series of annotated concerts that have been enthusiastically received by audiences and music critics alike. This series has doubled its subscribers since last season, and the new season will present works by Chopin, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Mozart, to name but a few.

In addition to the many concert series, the Israel Camerata is also active in educational projects, such as the unique educational project for schools in Jerusalem “Touching Music” in cooperation with the M.N.H.I. and the Jerusalem Music Center, and also in workshops and master classes for students studying at conservatories in peripheral communities.

The orchestra attributes the greatest importance to involvement in communal life and to its contribution towards promoting music in Israel. Dimona, Afula, Nazareth and Carmiel are but some of the communities participating in projects associated with education and community.

The Camerata has been invited for many concert tours around the world. The orchestra regularly tours Europe and has performed in the most prestigious and important festivals and concert halls. During its North American tour, the Camerata performed world premi?re performances of works especially commissioned from Israeli composers.

In September, 1999, the orchestra represented Israel and enjoyed incredible success in its concert series in China at the initiative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Ministry of Culture within the scope of a cross-cultural agreement between the two countries. In addition, the Camerata participated in a special production of the opera Cosi Fan Tutte in Cyprus. In July, 2004, the orchestra will perform in festivals in Europe and at the prestigious Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam.

The unique standard of performance that the orchestra has achieved, derives both from the high professional standard of the players’ ability and from the painstaking and in-depth preparatory work of the Music Director, Professor Avner Biron. The Camerata is regularly praised by both audiences and music critics alike.

“The Camerata is not just a performance. This is the orchestra for real audiences who love music unconditionally. This is the orchestra where creativity is its brightest star... For the Camerata, the audience is king...
...to conclude: today we took out a subscription to the Israel Camerata, Jerusalem... Hurry so that you won’t be disappointed. Don’t say you didn’t know, now you do.”

Hanoch Ron - "Yediot Aharonot"