Four new principals named by Israel Philharmonic

Four new principals named by Israel Philharmonic

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norman lebrecht

January 17, 2020

In a rush of new blood, the Israel Philharmonic made these appointments this morning:

Nina Bernat – principal doubebass

Ari Þór Vilhjálmsson – principal second violins

Dima Ratush – principal viola

Haran Meltzer – principal cello

plus

Lia Perlov – Assistant principal cello

 

Bernat won the Juilliard bass prize in 2019.

Ari, ex-Helsinki Phil, is the IPO’s first Icelander.

Haran is based in Berlin

Comments

  • Ron Denver says:

    Is still everyone on that orchestra white?

  • drummerman says:

    Mazel Tov to them all!

  • NYMike says:

    I remember seeing Bernat in the Juilliard Orch. just last year.

  • Flips says:

    “In a rush of new blood, the Israel Philharmonic made these appointments […]”

    You mean… same old Jewish blood, right?

  • Karlo says:

    Dima’s been there for a while. Nonetheless, a phenomenal musician.

  • esfir ross says:

    1st fiddle-Moldovan from Kishinev

  • Sir David Geffen-Hall says:

    Wonderful. Good luck to this co-hort of fine young musicians! May they keep up the traditions of the Israel Philharmonic.

  • Kolb Slaw says:

    I maintain that there is something wrong with hiring too-young musicians with too-little experience as principal players, or as players just to hold on to them, as the Philadelphia Orchestra does. Too many are simply great technicians who apply that to auditioning, and not great musicians. I’ll never forget a recording by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra that was incredibly accurate and totally devoid of music-making.

  • Miguel Cervantes says:

    As seen on Israeli television news, Shani is now running his rehearsals mostly in Hebrew. I wish the newcomers luck- it’s not an easy language.

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