Dear Friends

We are delighted to welcome you to the Sixteenth Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival. It has been a privilege for us to create a programme to excite, interest and enchant our unique and loyal audience.

This year, we have chosen to explore the ‘Quintet’. As we proceeded, we were amazed at the wealth of music that exists for the infinitely varied ensembles of five instruments: string, wind, with and without piano, a feast of endless riches. We shall be listening to some of the greatest musical creations of the classical and romantic composers – the quintets of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Dvořák, Schumann, Brahms, Franck and Shostakovich together with lesser known but equally great quintet compositions such as those by Bartók, Elgar and Ligeti. Joining this illustrious roster, a new Quintet by Israeli composer Ayal Adler will receive its Israeli premiere, a co-commission with the Festival’s ‘younger brother’, the 2nd JCMF Berlin Festival which took place with great success in April at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

Alongside this wonderful music, we have other pleasures. To mark fifty years since Hindemith’s death, we will explore his seminal role in the history of music, discovering in the process music to challenge and thrill; we are also celebrating two other significant anniversaries: the centenary of the births of Britten and Lutosławski. We are honoured to be hosting Robert Holl in a performance of his own acclaimed song cycle; and András Schiff returns with a fascinating recital of music by Janáček, Bartok, Schubert and Beethoven.

Join us in a discovery of old and new with our wonderful artists whom it is a joy to see here each year, as well as welcoming new musicians to our Festival.