KESHET EILON MUSIC CENTER
Concert & Dinner
KESHET EILON MUSIC CENTER
Concert & Dinner
The Harmonie Club NYC
4 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
Reception 6:00 pm
Concert 7:00 pm
Dinner immediately following
Dear Friends,
Please save the date, Monday, May 15, 2023, to celebrate the Keshet Eilon Music Center and its International String Mastercourse.
Keshet Eilon continues to conduct and expand its programs aimed at advancing young string musicians from Israel and throughout the world with the conviction that the power of music can bridge differences and barriers between people, religions and cultures.
The annual Keshet Eilon benefit concert allows us to continue fostering musical excellence and molding a young generation of artists who serve as goodwill ambassadors of Israel upon their return to their home countries.
For further information, please contact [email protected]
We look forward to seeing you!
Warmly,
MAY
15
2023
The Harmonie Club NYC
4 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
Reception 6:00 pm
Concert 7:00 pm
Dinner to follow
Concert and Dinner Co-Chairs
Nurit Amdur, Debbie Fleischman, Betty Grinstein, and Raquel Ramati
The American Friends of Keshet Eilon Concert Committee
cordially invites you to attend a
Guest of Honor
Michael Herzog Israel’s Ambassador to the United States
May 15, 2023
The Harmonie Club, 4 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
Cocktail Reception 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Concert promptly at 7:00 pm
Dinner to follow
The Keshet Eilon Music Center is proud to present:
So-Young Choi (South Korea), Violin
Eesa Khoury (Israel), Violin
Asi Matathias (Israel), Violin
Sonya Shin (South Korea), Violin
Tal First (Israel), Viola
Natanel Laevsky (Israel), Viola
Miles Goosby (USA), Cello
Matthew Graybil (USA), Piano
Featuring works by: Schubert, Franck, Dvořák, Massenet, Mendelssohn & Anderson
F. Schubert (1797-1828)
Arpeggione Sonata in a minor, D 821
I. Allegro moderato
Tal First (Israel), Viola
Matthew Graybil (USA), Piano
C. Franck (1822-1890)
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major
II. Allegro
Eesa Khoury (Israel), Violin
Matthew Graybil (USA), Piano
A. Dvořák (1841-1904)
String Quartet “The American” in F major, Op. 96
I. Allegro ma non troppo
So-Young Choi (South Korea), Violin I
Sonya Shin, (South Korea), Violin II
Natanel Laevsky (Israel), Viola
Miles Goosby (USA), Cello
J. Massenet (1842-1912)
Méditation from the opera ‘Thais’
F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Violin Sonata in F major, MWN Q26
III. Assai vivace
Asi Matathias (Israel), Violin
Matthew Graybil (USA), Piano
L. Anderson (1908-1975)
Fiddle-Faddle
Ensemble of all the participants
Matthew Graybil (USA), Piano
Tal First
(Israel), VIOLA
Tal First is the Assistant Principal Violist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He began his violin studies in Israel at the age of 6 with Mr. Geri Ferber. First continued his studies with Ms. Svetlana Simannovsky at the ThelmaYellin School of Arts and later at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. He received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School as a student of Li Lin and Itzhak Perlman. He is a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, with which he performed in venues including Salzburg Festival, Lucernce Festival, BBC Proms, Berlin and Paris Philhamonies. Between 2018-2022 First served as a Teaching Fellow for the Ear Training Department of Juilliard. In this position, he was mentored by Dr. Kyle Blaha. Since 2011, he has received support from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, and from the Ronen Foundation since 2016. First serves as a returning musician for the Musethica Program, where he was first introduced to viola playing. He also served as a principal player for the Young Israeli Philharmonic
Eesa Khoury
(Israel), VIOLIN
Eesa Khoury was born in 2001, in Kfar Yasif, Israel. Eesa began studying oriental violin at age 6. He started studying classical violin at age 10 with Yevgeny Apter at the Rubin Conservatory in Haifa, and then, with prof. Chaim Taub. During his violin studies, Eesa took part in Keshet Eilon’s Seminars and International Summer Masterourses. Currently, he studies a Bachelor of Music with Prof. Mihaela Martin at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin. Eesa attended masterclasses with Miriam Fried, Hagai Shaham, Tomer Lev, Robin Wilson, and Chaim Taub. He participated in The Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Galilee Chamber Orchestra of Polyphony – Nazareth. Currently, he is a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Maestro Daniel Barenboim. Eesa is a three-time recipient of the America-Israel scholarship. He participated in Keshet Eilon fundraising concerts in Israel, New York, and Los Angeles.
So-Young Choi
(South Korea), VIOLIN
So-Young Choi has been an active performer in both the United States and Korea. She has appeared as a soloist with major Korean Orchestras such as Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sangrok Chamber Orchestra. So-Young won major Korean competitions such as Gifu International Competition, Busan Music Competition, Catholic Music Competition, Han-guk Newspaper Youth Competition, Kook-Min Newspaper Music Competition, and Se-gye Newspaper Music Competition. Her former string quartet was Honors Ensemble at New England Conservatory, and she has attended Kneisel Hall, Taos School of Music, Heifetz Music Festival, Great Mountain Music Festival, and Summit Music Festival. So-Young is a leader of Ahava Ensemble in Korea, which raises funds to help patients and children with cancer. She studied with Kowoon Yang and Ju-Young Baek in Korea, and Miriam Fried and Donald Weilerstein at New England Conservatory where she received B.M and M.M. Currently, So-Young is pursuing a Doctoral degree at the Manhattan School of Music with Mark Steinberg. Choi is a graduate of Keshet Eilon Mastercourse.
Sonya Shin
(South Korea), VIOLIN
Praised for her “big tone and attractive sound”, KoreanCanadian violinist Sonya Shin started her violin studies at the age of five. In recent years, Shin has won many top prizes in local and national competitions such as the Canadian Music Competition, and the Kiwanis Music Festival. At age seventeen, Shin made her debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Other notable solo performances have been with Edmonton Chamber Philharmonic Orchestras. Along with solo performances, Shin was the Concertmaster of the Edmonton Youth Orchestra for four seasons. She has attended many international music festivals including Morningside Music Bridge, Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy, Heifetz Institute of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival. Shin currently studies at the Manhattan School of Music under Patinka Kopec. Her previous teachers are Robert Uchida, James Keene, and Anne Mcdougall. She is generously supported by the Korean Canadian Foundation scholarship, Alexandra M. Munn scholarship, the O’Neill Foundation, Ranald & Vera Shean Memorial Scholarship, and the Winspear Fund scholarship. Shin is also a graduate of Keshet Eilon Mastercourse.
Natanel Laevsky
(Israel), VIOLA
Natanel was born in Israel in 2000 and started studying the violin at 7 with Mr. Simon Ostrovsky and later with Ms. Ludmila Feldman. A graduate of the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts and the David Goldman Chamber Music Program at the Jerusalem Music Center, he currently studies with Prof. Pinchas Zukerman and Prof. Patinka Kopec at the Manhattan School of Music in NY. He has appeared in concerts, international festivals, and masterclasses in Israel, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the USA, the Netherlands, and Japan, and has played with renowned musicians such as the Jerusalem Quartet, cellist Zvi Plesser (Israel), violinist Peter Winograd (USA), and pianist William Wolfram (USA). Since 2013 he has been a scholarship recipient of the America-Israel Foundation and the Ronen Foundation (2015). Natanel plays a Samuel Zygmuntowicz 1987 viola, generously loaned to him by the AICF. Natanel is a graduate of Keshet Eilon Mastercourse.
Miles Goosby
(USA), CELLO
Miles Goosby is currently studying with Julia Lichten at the Manhattan School of Music. He is an active chamber musician and teacher in New York. He previously attended Pepperdine University where he was the winner of the 2019 Thomas M. Osborne Concerto Competition. In addition to the competition, Miles was a part of many orchestral performances including film scores, operas, and musicals. Miles has been involved with organizations such as The Meadowmount School of Music, National Youth Orchestra of the United States, and Third Street School of Music. Outside of music, Miles enjoys spending time with his friends and family, playing sports, and eating delicious food.
Asi Matathias
(Israel), VIOLIN
Violinist Asi Matathias, protégé of Pinchas Zukerman, is already recognized as one of the most celebrated talents of his generation. He made his debut at the age of fourteen with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a long-time student of Pinchas Zukerman and Patinka Kopec. Matathias has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras around the globe with conductors such as Eliahu Inbal, Frederic Chaslin, Leon Botstein, Dan Ettinger, and Eduard Topchjan, and has collaborated with artists such as Yefim Bronfman, Nikolaj Znaider, Frans Helmerson, and Pinchas Zukerman. Matathias appeared in prestigious Concert Halls worldwide and has recorded for the BBC, CBC, WQXR, and ORF. He has performed in Festivals such as The Vienna Bezirk Wochen Festspiele, Prussia Cove in England, and the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, to mention only a few. In 2017 he was awarded a career grant from “Salon de Virtuosi” in New York. Asi is a longtime graduate of Keshet Eilon.
Matthew Graybil
(USA), PIANO
Praised by The New Yorker as an “exceptional young artist” American pianist Matthew Graybil has performed throughout the United States, Canada, France, Mexico and Holland, and in venues such as Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Le Poisson Rouge, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center and Lincoln Center. He has appeared on radio and television, including WNYC, WQXR, WWFM, CBS Chicago, the Discovery Channel and PBS. Since making his orchestral debut at age 14, he has performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and the National Chamber Players among others. He has been a prizewinner in the MTNA/Yamaha National Piano Competition, the New York Piano Competition, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, the Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition, Missouri Southern International Piano Competition and the Wideman International Piano Competition. Graybil was a pupil of Harvey Wedeen for six years and completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, where he worked with Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio.
Keshet Eilon Music Center, marking its 33rd year as a beacon of excellence in classical music, continues its educational programs for gifted young string musicians from Israel and throughout the world. Many of its alumni have become sought-after soloists with international orchestras and teachers in prominent music conservatories.
The centerpiece of Keshet Eilon’s work is its summer International String Mastercourse. Led by a renowned faculty, the program nurtures aspiring young musicians from more than 50 countries. In addition, two seminars for promising young Israeli string students of all religions and ethnicities are led during the year.
We believe that the music at Keshet Eilon serves as a bridge to peace between people and cultures. Collaborations have been founded and barriers have been broken down between young Jewish and Arab musicians simply by making music together.
All Keshet Eilon activities are held in its new campus which includes spacious dormitory units, a cafeteria overlooking the Galilee mountains, and a plaza with an outdoor acoustic shell and large lawn. Presently under construction are new teaching rooms and an Ensemble Hall.
We are thrilled to return in person for this traditional Spring celebration of our annual gala concert here in New York and to bring music back to life.
Semi-annual seminars for young Israeli string students
Keshet Eilon holds two annual seminars led by senior faculty and aimed at nurturing promising young Israeli string students. Some 80 young musicians from all over Israel, both Arab and Jewish, participate in these weekend-long intensives. These students have a significantly higher acceptance rate into the Summer International String Mastercourse
Harmony – coexistence through music
The Keshet Eilon Music Center forms a bridge between people and cultures via music. Since 2011, we have reached out to young violinists in the Arab community by assisting music centers in several Arab villages and towns such as the Al-Kendi Conservatory in the village of Jatt, in the town of Qalansuwa. Students from Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, Kfar Yasif, Jerusalem and Acre are encouraged to break down barriers simply by making music together.
Support for our young students
Keshet Eilon provides all its students the opportunity to excel in violin studies by offering support in various ways, including loaning instruments, giving scholarships, and providing access to its unique music library and atelier for violins and bows.
Concert series
An annual concert series is presented in the Keshet Eilon concert hall. These well-attended concerts are performed monthly from October through June, and are enjoyed by residents of the Western Galilee who have limited access to Israel’s metropolitan cultural centers.
Facility rentals
All Keshet Eilon activities take place on our new campus, which includes spacious dormitories, a cafeteria with panoramic views of the Galilee Mountains, a plaza with an outdoor acoustic shell, and an expansive terraced lawn. Modern classrooms and an ensemble hall are currently under construction. When not in use for Keshet Eilon music activities, the concert hall, dormitories and classrooms are available for rent by choirs, school music departments, tourists and others. The rental fees contribute much needed income to Keshet Eilon.
International Music Academy
We look forward to the realization of our ultimate vision of creating an International Music Academy on our campus. The year-round academy will attract and serve gifted students from Israel and all over the world, as well as world-renowned artists and music teachers who will make Keshet Eilon their home.
