International Society for Contemporary Music

The Israel Composers' League (ICL) functions as the Israeli ISCM section as well as the ACL section. Most Israeli composers of concert music are ICL members.

Last December a new board was elected for a two- year term: Mr. Dan Yuhas, chairman, and Dr. Ron Weidberg, treasurer, were reelected. A third member of the board is Ms. Noa Blass, secretary.

During the year 2004, the main efforts of the ICL were put towards the production of the annual festival and congress of the ACL. This was the biggest ICL project the since 1980, when Israel hosted the ISCM World Music Days. During the 2004 festival there were two orchestral concerts, one opera, two competitions, two workshops and eight chamber concerts, performed by our best contemporary music groups. The Israeli young composer Mr. Avner Dorman, received the first prize in the young composers' competition, with entrants from ACL sections, that was held during the festival.

Our festival took place almost simultaneously with the annual "Israeli Music Festival", a project of the ministry of Education and Culture, consisting of two consecutive days of orchestral and chamber Israeli music events, and the" Biennale for Contemporary Music", centered at the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa Museum of Arts. Some of the biennale and the "Israeli Music Festival" events were also part of the ACL program.

The music scene in Israel is very rich and contemporary music finds its place among the considerable number of orchestral and chamber concerts offered in this country weekly.

One of our best ensembles in the contemporary music scene is the "Israel Contemporary Players". This excellent group of professional musicians performs regularly during each year. The series of concerts they present includes 4-5 different and rich programs, fully devoted to contemporary music, directed by first class of Israeli and European conductors. Their 2004 activity also included a competition for young composers.

The Israeli Contemporary Players are strongly connected financially and artistically with the Israeli classical music radio station (Kol Hamusika), which broadcasts contemporary music (in general) as well as Israeli music, regularly.

"Musica Nova" is another ensemble which specializes in new music and is active mainly in Tel Aviv- Jaffa. It runs its programs with a special emphasis on young Israeli composers and new immigrants. Each year, the ensemble runs 3 concerts for large ensemble, and 3 concerts representing young composers, featuring smaller groups.

Other ensembles which specialize in new repertoire of contemporary music that currently work and perform in Israel on different stages are the "Kaprizma" ensemble and the String Quartet for Contemporary Music.

The Israeli Electronic Music Studio, located at the city of Tel-Aviv-Jaffa is a new hall, built in 2004. Special concerts and events which combine multi-media, electronics and live music are regularly performed in this beautiful studio which has also high-quality recording facilities.

One of the aims of the ICL is to support and help composers to produce CDs of their own music. During the years 2004-2005, we helped and supported 6 Israeli composers to produce CDs.

The ICL produced two concerts during 2004 dedicated to the memory of the composer Abel Erlich, who passed away a year ago.

For the year 2005, the ICL is presenting a series of 8 "meetings-concerts". At each meeting, two composers present their own music, play live and recorded music, and have an open conversation with the audience.

Another project being planned is the Samuel Lieberson Competition. This contest is for ICL members only, and is held every two years. At each competition composers are invited to write for a different instrumental combination; this time the competition is for a woodwind quintet. Works are submitted anonymously, and are selected by an independent jury. The winning work will be chosen from the 3 finalists and will be performed in September 2005.

The piece "Hoshanot", by Betty Olivero was performed during the ISCM 2004 festival.

In the 2005 ISCM festival, three pieces ,by Nurit Jugend, Ayal Adler and Ari Ben-Shabtai will be performed, thus representing the Israeli Section.

List of works performed on 2005 season:

Israel Contemporary Players:

Bardanashvili- Yellow and Blues

Matsushita- "Dharani" for chamber ensemble

Brownlee- "Sparks among the Geysers"

Seung Jae Chang- "The Change of Time"

Isang Yun- Kammerkonzert

Difire and M.M. Kaars- "The Vow-Undoer"- a live cinema performance

Rihm- "sphare um sphare" for chamber ensemble

Goliov "Arye" for voice and ensemble

Neta Aloni- for Accordion

Dmitri Yanov Yanovsky- "Insomnia"

Fontanelli- ugerit invida aetas"

Nono- "Sofferte Onde Serene"

Yusupov- "Cross"

Tarnopolssky- "Chevengur" for soprano and chamber ensemble

"Denisov- Concerto for saxophone and percussion\Feldman- "The King of Denmark"

Per Nogard- Repercussion

Varese- "Deserts" with film by Bill Viola

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra:

Nadav Ziv- Voices, Calls and Lamento

Noam Sheriff- Genesis

Harlap- Basson Concerto

Francesconi- Cobalt Scarlet

Kreiger- Passacglia for new millenium

Israel Philharmonic Players plays chamber music:

Weidberg- Quintet for tuba and strings

Kurtag- Homage to M.Schuman op. 15d

Musica Nova

Reuven Kazhiloti- Konzertstuck

Chya Czernowin- Manoalchadiya

Piotr Moss- Tissages

William Bolcom- Orphee-Serenade

Michael Tork- The yellow Pages

Ze'ev Steinberg- Concerto for piccolo

Charles Ives- The Unanswered Question

Charles Ives- Songs for voice and piano

Gyorgy Ligeti- Quartet no. 2

Ruben Seroussi- Quartet

William Bolcom- Piano Quintet

Gregory J.Hutter- 3 pieces for Clarinet and Piano

Dan Yuhas, chairman