The Buchmann-Mehta School Of Music & The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
As the official partner school of the Israel Philharmonic, the BMSM enjoys a unique relationship with one of the world's great orchestras. Indeed, the BMSM is a joint venture between the Israel Philharmonic and Tel Aviv University.
This intimate relationship is evident both in highly public ways and in every facet of the school's daily life. The IPO's long-time former Music Director and now Music Director Emeritus, Maestro Zubin Mehta, is the school's Honorary President.
A considerable number of BMSM graduates have gone on to be recruited by the IPO - including all its current concertmasters, several section leaders, and the orchestra's Music Director, Lahav Shani. Several current IPO players are BMSM faculty members, where they help nurture the next generation of musicians. And the IPO's guest artists regularly give master classes with the BMSM students - in recent seasons including Sir Andras Schiff, Yuja Wang, Emanuel Ax, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zuckerman, Julian Rachlin, Manfred Honeck, Gianandrea Noseda, Eva Mei, Murray Perahia, Gil Shaham, Thomas Hampson, Graham Johnson, Yo Yo Ma, Thomas Quasthoff, Christoph Eschenbach, Denis Matsuev, Menachem Pressler, Martin Frost, Radek Baborak, and Christian Lindberg.
Each year, BMSM students are able to play in the concert halls of the Israel Philharmonic, and gala concerts take place in the IPO's main auditorium, with the Buchmann-Mehta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta and, most recently, Lahav Shani.
Members of the IPO audition and coach students toward each of the orchestral projects. Based on their achievements, outstanding BMSM players on orchestral instruments are chosen to take part in the prestigious Practicum Program, where they are given an opportunity to join the IPO in its regular concerts, featuring leading international guest conductors and soloists.
Thanks to the generous support from the Colton Family, the BMSM and the IPO have recently established the Colton Internship Program, allowing selected BMSM graduates (including international students) to join the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for one season. Winners of this prestigious Internship receive salary and individual lessons from IPO principal players.
