Reporting by Leah
Count the Stars, the America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF) Gala Concert to celebrate its 70th anniversary, took place on January 10, 2010, beginning at 7:00pm in the Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall, in New York City.Yefim Bronfman, Joseph Kalichstein, Orli Shaham and Pinchas Zukerman led this magnificent roster at the Gala Concert, honoring the organization that has been helping to build Israeli culture since 1939.Actress Tovah Feldshuh and the Ted Arison Family Foundation received special awards for their contributions to the Arts.
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, celebrated its 70th anniversary with Count the Stars, an unprecedented gala concert at Carnegie Hall, as internationally renowned masters and cutting-edge young performers gathered to honor the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.
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 AICFs scholarship alumni joined 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 institutionsincluding the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Museum, Batsheva Dance Company, Habimah National Theatre and the Jerusalem Cinemathequeand 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 nations 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. Thats why it is such a joy to participate in the 70th anniversary gala concert, to help AICF in supporting Israels next generation of artists and the nations 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, AICFs Executive Director. Its a time for some of tomorrows stars to share the Carnegie Hall stage with our world-renowned alumniand 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.
The concert program, performed by AICF scholarship alumni, included excerpts from masterworks including Brahmss Piano Quintet in F minor, Schuberts String Quintet in C Major, Mendelssohns Octet for Strings, Mozarts Trio for Viola, Clarinet, and Piano, and Dvoraks Slavonic Dances for piano four hands.
The roster of performers included 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 was AICF rising stars the Ariel String Quartet (Gershon Gershikov, Alexandra Kazovsky, Sergey Tarashnansky and Amit Even-Tov); Alex Fiterstein, clarinet; Asi Matathias, violin; Sergey Ostrovsky, violin/viola; Yonah Zur, viola; and Benji Hochman, Shai Wosner, Ran Dank, Alon Goldstein and Inon Barnatan, piano.
Benefactor tickets started at $200 and $400 through AICF.
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 Isaac Stern. AICF is the principal private funder of the arts in Israel and has been that nations 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.
For more information on the AICF please visit their website at www.aicf.org
