Social Change through Music, Israel

Music will save the world
Pablo Casalas

Description

Vision

Music is the most powerful way to communicate ideas of social change: solidarity and cultural pluralism. Music is able to move, inspire, and motivate in circumstances where simple words and arguments fail to do so. The project seeks to promote solidarity with disadvantaged people, especially homeless people, through music. The project seeks to break barriers between the worlds of Western classical music and traditional Moroccan music.

Activity

The program fosters the creation and performance of new Israeli music that engages with social justice themes. The program emphasizes the artistic and humanistic principles shared by both Jewish and Arabic Moroccan music and by Western classical music such as opera. This is to be achieved through the organization of musical events and performances that bring out the cultural commonalities of these traditions. The program places central emphasis on reaching out to diverse communities and to non-traditional audiences, particularly in Israel.

One of the project's musical programs is "Bagina" (“In the Garden”), a mono-drama for voice and brass quintet that deals with the issue of homelessness in Israel. It provides an intimate glimpse into a homeless woman's life. "Bagina" was performed in several occasions in Israel and abroad.

Another musical program is "Local Voice" a recital program consists of Arabic Andalusian songs, Moroccan Pyutim (Jewish sacred songs), Post WWII French songs by Ravel and Poulenc and new Israeli music that was composed specially for "Local Voice".

One of the project's future programs includes creation of a musical-book for children with the goal of promoting solidarity among Israeli children with refugee and immigrant children.

Biography

Merav Eldan began her musical training as a singer and pianist at Red Sea Music Center Eilat, Israel. Continuing her vocal training with Professor Tamar Rachum at the vocal department of Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University. Merav's specialties includes Baroque, ancient Jewish music, contemporary and 19th century music. She performed roles such as Componist by Strauss and Hänsel by Humperdinck. She participated in master classes including Rinaldo Alessandrini, Andreas Scholl, Jill Feldman, Antonella Gianese, and Maarten Koningsberger. She performed with Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble and Israeli Brass Quintet. She sang under the baton of maestros Yannis Pouspourikas, Carlo Goldstein, Ronen Borshevsky and Barak Tal. She will perform Mozart's Requiem and Bardanashvili's Rabbi Shimon's Bar Yochai Passion (world premiere) with Israel Camerata Jerusalem. In Fall 2016 Merav will begin her studies as part of Prof. Mary Schiller's studio for Artist Diploma at Cleveland Institute of Music.