The Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel is making its North American debut, including a concert on March 15 at the Marin Center.
Mysteriously (or perhaps just trying to protect sales), the orchestra which recently received an award for being the leading performer of original Israeli compositions, is offering a program of two overperformed warhorses, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 ("From the New World"). For a few minutes of semi-novelty, there will be the Overture to Carl Maria von Weber’s Euryanthe.
Leading the orchestra is its principal guest conductor, Boguslaw Dawidow, and the soloist is Israeli pianist Roman Rabinovich, who had made his debut at age 10 with the Israeli Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta.
Haifa Symphony was founded in 1950, and in recent years has become the focal point of musical life in the north of Israel. Noam Sheriff is the music director.