Israel Chamber Orchestra (ICO)
Israel Chamber Orchestra (ICO)
The ICO was founded in 1965 by Gary Bertini who served as its Artistic Director and conductor for 10 years. Subsequent Artistic Directors were: Luciano Berio, Rudolph Barshai, Uri Segal, Yoav Talmi, Shlomo Mintz, Philippe Entremont, Salvador Mas Conde, Noam Sheriff, Gil Shohat and Roberto Paternostro. Since 2015/2016 Concert Season, Ariel Zuckermann serves as Musical Director of the ICO.
The Israel Chamber Orchestra strives for recreating the classical music experience with fresh, unique programs. It supports Israeli composers and gives stage to the full range of orchestral works: from the well-known classics to the currently written compositions. The ICO’s repertoire ranges from early baroque to contemporary, jazz and popular music and attributes utmost importance to attracting the young generation.
The ICO tours extensively in Europe, USA, Canada, South America, the Far East and takes part in prestigious international music festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, festivals in Istanbul, Helsinki, Athens, Pompeii, Sofia, Hong Kong and many more. The Orchestra recorded for Chandos, Naxos, Music Masters, The Israel Music Institute (IMI), Koch and Teldec.
Among the numerous well-known artists who performed with the ICO are: Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Yefim Bronfman, Miriam Fried, Joseph Kalichstein, Kryzstof Penderecki, Christoph Eschenbach, Yoel Levi, Jean Pierre Rampal, Paul Tortelier, Heinrich Schiff, Heinz Holliger, Sergiu Commissiona, Claude Frank, David Shallon, Tabea Zimmerman, and others. Several internationally acclaimed choirs participated in the Orchestra’s concerts throughout the years, among them: The Israeli Choirs, The Netherlands Chamber Choir, Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, Prague Chamber Choir and the Vienna Sänger Knaben.
The transformed Israel Chamber Orchestra has carved new central values on its flag. These are musical quality, promoting Israeli works, and deepening the connection between public and community through exceptional projects. The orchestra turns to broad audiences by assimilating various musical cultures and styles, collaborating with other art forms and by performing folk and world music which connects with the various communities in the Israeli population.
The Orchestra is supported by the ministry of culture and sports as well as by the Tel-Aviv Municipality.