MUSIC

One of Israel’s most prominent and esteemed composers will be performing in Houston along with his equally talented wife. Eitan Steinberg and Etty Ben-Zaken will debut their talent for Houston audiences on August 30 at 4:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Houston.  Free event (but reservations required).

Local art and music lovers will get unprecedented access to the Israeli artists as they are part of the Schusterman Visiting Artists Program, one of the largest residency programs to launch in the United States. Steinberg and his wife will be in residence in Houston August 15 -November 15, 2009.

“The residency program is very important to me on two different levels: on the personal level--meeting with new people, musicians and new music is always exciting and inspiring,” says Steinberg. “On another level, I feel privileged for the opportunity to bring to the US other sides of Israel—different then those emphasized by the media. When I return home, I hope to have a sense of a wide community. A community of Jews and non-Jews who share an open minded discourse about Israeli issues, as well as love and care to this unique place.”

Steinberg is the chair of Haifa University’s Music Department and the winner of Israel’s 2007 Prime Minister’s Composition Award. He studied at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy (BA) and at the University of California at Berkeley (Ph.D). Performers of his music include the Israel Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, Israel Contemporary Players, violist Kim Kashkashian, pianist Sarah Cahill and Boston Music Viva ensemble, which recorded a CD of his works.

Ben-Zaken studied singing in Jerusalem at the Rubin Academy and theater at the School of Visual Theater. Well versed in the extended vocal techniques of 20th-century music, she feels equally at home performing early music as well as folk repertoire from her Sephardic heritage. She has published two novels in Israel and has five Music-Theater shows, which she has staged, designed and performed in Israel, Europe and the United States. Ben-Zaken’s singing has been recorded on the New Albion Records label, Israeli TV and radio, German WDR radio and on documentary films. Ben-Zaken is an active lecturer on ethnic and contemporary music and a faculty member in Haifa University’s Theater Department.

“I am honored to be able to bring something from my cultural world to Houston, through the performance of Eitan's music (mainly the "Stabat Mater" with its Hebrew-Arabic-English-Latin-Ladino texts, and the prayer-inspired "Rava Deravin") and through performing Ladino and other folk songs from the colorful and multi-layered Israeli music world,” says Ben Zaken.

The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation supports the artists by providing a two to nine month stay in the U.S. The Jewish Community Center of Houston has been selected as one of the inaugural six host agencies. The residency is supported locally by The Maurice Amado Foundation. The goal of the program is to engage American audiences with Israeli artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and choreographers. The program is intended to provide professional development experiences and cultural exposure for Israeli artists outside their home country.

To learn more about the artists and to hear excerpts of their music go to www.benzaken-steinberg.com.  For more information about going to the Opening Concert and reception on Sunday, August 30 go to www.jcchouston.org.  

Pictured above:  Etty Ben-Zaken.