תזמורת סימפונית ירושלים (ע"ר)ה THE JERUSALEM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (R.A.)

On March 30, 1936, the voice of the postmaster general Colonel Hudson burst into the ether, announcing for the first time “This is Jerusalem Calling”, followed by a Hebrew translation and a speech by the High Commissioner Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, who officially inaugurated the Palestine Broadcasting Service. Music was part of public broadcasted content from its very inception, even more so in the years of the British Mandate, since the admitted policy was not to involve any political content whatsoever. The first musical sounds that were heard on that occasion were those of the piano of Erich (Aryeh) Sachs, who played an introduction to a song sung by Chaim Vittorio Weinberg. Initially, the musical needs of the young radio station were supplied by the small Chamber Orchestra of the Palestine Broadcasting Service, which was directed by the singer-conductor Kar’el Salmon (originally Karl Salomon). התזמורת-בימיה-הראשונים-סוף-שנות-ה-30-ללא 1936: the founding members of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Since then, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (JSO) has played a crucial role in shaping and developing the cultural sphere of the State of Israel. Over the years, the JSO has hosted major musicians from Israel and around the world, including: Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pablo Casals, Isaac Stern, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Yefim Bronfman. The orchestra tours extensively, performing on the world’s most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, Vienna Music Hall, Cologne Philharmonic Hall, as well as other venues throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. Stravinsky JSO.jpg 1964: Igor Stravinsky works with the JSO. Since 1948, the has been an integral part of the Israeli Broadcasting Association (IBA). However, in 2017 the government disbanded the IBA and launched the new Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, which excluded all orchestral activities.