Flanked by the city government’s top brass, the Israeli Opera company leadership announced the festival’s plans at a recent press conference at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum, with two vocalists on hand to provide musical accompaniment.
opening and closing performances to be held at Sultan’s Pool and Italy’s
Arena di Verona Orchestra headlining on opening night. In addition to the Sultan’s Pool
performances, there’s a full bill of other vocal performances in churches and other venues throughout the city. And outside Jerusalem, there’s a performance of Aida and a showcase for Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli at Masada.
year we’ve expanded it [to Jerusalem] because it was such a success in
spreading the word locally and internationally about what an opera house
does. It’s important to establish ourselves throughout the country and
offer opera to as many different people as possible.”
With marquee talent performing at breathtaking venues like these, the international opera fan community will certainly be wooed, but Stern hopes that local crowds will also get excited. “Last year the
festival was very focused on people coming in from outside the country,” he tells GoJerusalem.com,
“while this year we are reaching out to Israelis more – and Jerusalem plays
a key role in this.”
normal season, and then we have this summer festival. The goals are
different. During the season, our goal is nurturing our opera audience –
challenging them and keeping them interested, giving them new
perspectives. Our goal for the summer is to open the opera walls and
reach a wider public.”
According to Stern, “This festival has put Israeli Israeli opera on the international map
unlike anything else. It brings people from around the
world…. With this festival, we are bringing the opera house to
Jerusalem. Music that’s not normally listened to in these venues will be
performed as part of the festival, and I’m very much proud to be a part
of it.”
vibrant, large-scale productions here are generally more pop-oriented, so the festival’s spread to outdoor, large-scale Jerusalem-area venues represents optimism that the masses here can get excited about opera. “It’s very easy to say, ‘That snotty opera house is only for the rich,’ but
we have a great variety in our audiences,” Stern asserts. “I’m anticipating that we have an
even greater audience when we expand to Jerusalem this year…. To be
able to perform Jerusalem – which takes place in Ramle, France and
Jerusalem – outside, in Sultan’s Pool, will be very exciting for me and
for the musicians. I’ll be enjoying the spectacle as much as the
audience. Sometimes we need to let loose a little and just enjoy.”
