Orchestras
It’s the orchestra where everything comes together, where Jerusalem’s human mosaic is most visible: Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, children of Ethiopian descent, students from privileged and from disadvantaged families, and new and established immigrants from around the globe make music together. It’s the orchestra where Hassdana most successfully realizes its vision of being a musical home for all children.
We see playing music with others as the ultimate goal of music education. It enables each musician to experience music at its finest and has the power to draw people together in the service of common goals. We aim to expose all our students to the incomparable experience of playing in an orchestra, and to make it at the same time an inspiring center of friendship and unity.
String Orchestras
Senior String Orchestra
Conductor: Prof. Michael Gaisler
Hassadna’s String Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gaisler, is one of Israel’s premier youth orchestras. It brings together 30 students, aged 12 to 18. Professor Gaisler is one of Israel’s leading figures in string education. The String Orchestra performs in festive concerts; has been broadcast on national radio performing premieres of contemporary Israeli compositions; has toured in London, including a concert with the Yehudi Menuhin String Orchestra in their stunning concert hall; and won first prize in the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, Austria (2018).
Junior String Orchestra
Conductor: Etien Meneri
Hassadna’s Junior String Orchestra, conducted by Etien Meneri, brings together 30 students aged 8-12. This is a first opportunity for young string students to get acquainted with different string instruments. By playing in an orchestra at such a young age, students have the unique opportunity to learn how to communicate through music while experiencing the joy of playing together.
Violin & Cello Ensembles
Violin ensemble conductor – Etien Meneri
Cello ensemble conductor – Shulamit Sarid
Hassadna’s violin ensemble and cello ensemble expose for the first time young string students to the experience of playing together with fellow students, working under the instruction of a conductor and performing as an ensemble on stage. The ensembles bring together 10 young students each, all of them on their first years studying their instruments. The ensembles manage to create young friendships that help to welcome the students into the Hassadna community in a warm and embracing way, as well as essensial in teaching the young students to listen to others while playing and to cooperate together in a mutual goal of creating music together.
Wind Orchestras
Senior Wind Orchestra
Conductor: Sagit Mazuz
Our Wind Orchestra, conducted by Sagit Mazuz and directed by Ronit Berman, is one of Israel’s leading youth wind orchestras, bringing together 50 students, aged 15-19. The orchestra represents the entire family of the wood and brass wind instruments. It strives for excellency and professionality, performing regularly at prestigious festivals and events throughout the country. The Orchestra has won first prizes in New York’s Carnegie Hall Wind Orchestra Festival, and the Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, Austria.
Junior Wind Orchestra
Conductor: Sagit Mazuz
Hassadna’s Junior Wind Orchestra, conducted by Sagit Mazuz, brings together 50 young students, aged 13-16. The orchestra represents the entire family of the wood and brass wind instruments. By playing in an orchestra at such a young age students have the unique opportunity to learn how to communicate through music while experiencing the joy of playing together.
Debut Wind Orchestra
Conductor: Sagit Mazuz
Hassadna’s Debut Wind Orchestra, conducted by Sagit Mazuz, brings together 50 young students at the ages 10-13. The orchestra represents the entire family of the wood and brass wind instruments. This is a first opportunity for young wind students to get acquainted with the wide range of different wind instruments, as well as a first experience working under a conductor’s instruction. Playing in an orchestra at such a young age manages to create young friendships that help to welcome the students into the Hassadna community in a warm and embracing way, as well as essensial in teaching the young students to listen to others while playing and to cooperate together in a mutual goal of creating music together.
Big Band
Conductor: Boris Gamer
Our Big Band, conducted by Boris Gamer, brings together 25 students, aged 13-18. The Big Band performs regularly at local venues and prestigious festivals, and holds several major concerts each year. The Big Band consists of saxophone and wind brass instruments, keyboard, guitar, bass and rhythm sections. It enjoys significant success in the Jerusalem jazz scene.
Sounds of Hassadna Choir
Conductor: Hilma Digilov
Pianist: Marina Shaevitch
The Sounds of Hassadna Choir was established in September 2018 by singer and choir conductor Hilma Digilov. It constitutes about 15 students aged 8 – 15 who perform classical, contemporary, folk and Israeli songs. The choir has performed at the Shalva Center, the Tower of David, and the Jerusalem Music Center in Mishkenot Sha’ananim. For these young singers, the choir is a musical home in which they can strive for excellence in a warm and supportive social setting.
Chamber Music
Participation in ensembles cultivates cooperative skills that are invaluable in a young musician’s education. Through its wide variety of chamber groups, Hassadna meets the needs of students of all levels of achievement and ability. Hassadna’s chamber music program consists of string quartets, brass quintets, piano trios, voice ensembles, recorder ensembles, Baroque ensembles, piano ensembles, percussion ensembles, jazz, pop and rock ensembles, and more. Our ensembles participate in annual events sponsored by Israel’s Ministry of Education designed to showcase the country’s most promising young musicians.