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For Immediate Release
Internationally Renowned Masters and Cutting-Edge Young Artists to Gather at Carnegie Hall
January 10, 2009, for Count the Stars, Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of
The America-Israel Cultural Foundation
Yefim Bronfman, Joseph Kalichstein, Orli Shaham and Pinchas Zukerman Lead
Roster at Gala Concert, Honoring the Organization That Has Been
Helping to Build Israeli Culture Since 1939
Actress Tovah Feldshuh and the Ted Arison Family Foundation to Receive Special Awards
For Their Contributions to the Arts
NEW YORK, NY, September 24, 2009 -- The organization that has nurtured generations of Israeli artists in every field, fostered the development of virtually every Israeli cultural institution and enabled Israel to contribute to the cultural life of countries throughout the world will celebrate its 70th anniversary on January 10, 2009, with Count the Stars, an unprecedented gala concert at Carnegie Hall, as internationally renowned masters and cutting-edge young performers gather to honor the America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF).
Since 1939, more than 10,000 young Israeli artists in every field have furthered their educations and launched their careers with the assistance of scholarships from AICF. On January 10, some of the most celebrated of AICF’s scholarship alumni will join with some of the most recent for a concert featuring Yefim Bronfman, Joseph Kalichstein, Orli Shaham, Pinchas Zukerman and a host of guest artists.
The largest private funder of the arts and arts education in Israel, AICF supports and helps maintain a distinctive Israeli cultural life and links Israelis and Americans throughout the powerful emotional connection of the arts. AICF has contributed toward the development of more than 600 institutions—including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Museum, Batsheva Dance Company, Habimah National Theatre and the Jerusalem Cinematheque—and has provided support to a multitude of artists who are active today in Israel, Europe, the U.S., Latin America, Asia and South Africa, strengthening the arts and affirming Jewish identity throughout the world. Over the past five years alone, AICF has awarded more than $6.5 million in scholarships to young Israeli arts students, helping to educate the next generation of the nation’s cultural ambassadors.
“There are literally thousands of us, in every field of the arts, who can say: When I most needed support and recognition, at the start of my path, AICF was there for me,” stated Pinchas Zukerman. “That’s why it is such a joy to participate in the 70th anniversary gala concert, to help AICF in supporting Israel’s next generation of artists and the nation’s future cultural life.”
“Our 70th anniversary is a time to celebrate past achievements but, even more, to get excited about the future,” said David Homan, AICF’s Executive Director. “It’s a time for some of tomorrow’s stars to share the Carnegie Hall stage with our world-renowned alumni—and a time for our friends and supporters to hear the voices of children and teenagers who are in school now and training for the future, thanks to AICF. For their sake, AICF is moving forward.”
Concert Program
The concert program, performed by AICF scholarship alumni, will include excerpts from masterworks including Schumann’s Piano Quintet, Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, Mozart’s Trio for Viola, Clarinet, and Piano, and Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances for piano four hands.
The roster of performers (still in formation) includes celebrity artists Miriam Fried, Shlomo Mintz and Pinchas Zukerman, violin; Mischa Maisky and Wolfgang Laufer, cello; and Yefim Bronfman, Orli Shaham and Joseph Kalichstein, piano. Also featured will be AICF rising stars the Ariel String Quartet (Gershon Gershikov, Alexandra Kazovsky, Sergey Tarashchansky and Amit Even-Tov); Alex Fiterstein, clarinet; Asi Matathias, violin; Sergey Ostrovsky, violin/viola; Yonah Zur, viola; and Benji Hochman, Shai Wosner, Alon Goldstein and Inon Barnatan, piano.
Ticket Information
Count the Stars, the AICF 70th anniversary gala concert, will take place on January 10, 2010, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall, West 57th Street and 7th Avenue. Benefactor tickets are available starting at $200 and $400 through AICF (www.aicf.org). General tickets are available from $40 to $90 (students $25) through CarnegieCharge (www.CarnegieHall.org or 212.247.7800).
About the America-Israel Cultural Foundation
The America-Israel Cultural Foundation was founded in 1939 to support artistic life in Israel. From 1964 to 2002 it was led by the late virtuoso violinist Issac Stern. AICF is the principal private funder of the arts in Israel and has been that nation’s primary supporter of art, design, music, dance, film/TV and theatre. Since its founding, AICF has played a leading role helping develop and fund many of Israel's largest cultural institutions. Most of Israel's finest artists in every discipline have received scholarship assistance from AICF. Among these are musicians Daniel Barenboim, Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen, Gil Shaham, Itzhak Perlman and 60 percent of the members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; visual artists Menashe Kadishman and Michal Rovner; choreographer Ohad Naharin; filmmakers Nir Bergman, Eytan Fox and Dover Koshashvili; and actor Mark Ivanir.