Tel Aviv Soloist Ensemble celebrates 20 years

• Published date: 11 October 2021
• Author: BARRY DAVIS
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Barak Tal could be forgiven for repeating the phrase, as he and the members of the Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble prepare to unveil their 2021-22 season of concerts, the orchestra's 20th. The new program kicks off on October 17 (8:30 p.m.) at the Israel Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv, with a repeat rollout of the repertoire at the Municipal Conservatory in Acre two days later (7 p.m.).

When Tal founded the orchestra he was all of 25 years old, presumably with dreams aplenty. Although now, at the "grand old age" of 46, he says he never considered where he and the ensemble may be at two decades on. "We noticed that, at our first concert, our average age was 25," the conductor-music director chuckles. "We were almost all under the age of 30. We are now at the stage whereby we have two or three musicians who were not even born when the ensemble started out. That is very moving for me."

Naturally, Tal and his contemporaries have advanced down the long and winding road of life, while youngsters have joined their ranks. This, says the ensemble founder, only serves to infuse him and the relative "grizzlies" with renewed fire in their musical bellies. "We have veteran instrumentalists who are very experienced, some around my age and some even a little older. I think we have a wonderful combination of seasoned players alongside enthused, energized young musicians."

Tal says the goal of all the ensemble members, regardless of the length of service, is one and the same. "The common denominator between us all is the very high standard of musicianship. We like to generate a fun, enjoyable ambiance, but we never compromise on the quality of our performances."

Over the years, the ensemble has also made a habit of unveiling works by Israeli composers. This season's curtain-raiser includes a premiere, and a stirring one it promises to be too. The debutant this time round is Concerto for Cello, Strings and Percussion by 78-year-old Yoav Talmi, a world-renowned conductor in his own right. "Over the 20 years, almost every concert has included something by an Israeli composer," Tal notes. "There have been a lot of premiere renditions. I don't know exactly how many but I think we have performed over 50 brand new works."

The Talmi piece, like the ensemble itself, was both the victim and the beneficiary of the coronavirus lockdown. "We should have celebrated our 20th-anniversary last year. But we couldn't because of COVID," Tal explains. "The Talmi composition came about completely...