The Press - About The IAO



About the Orchestra
Dr. Avi Ilam-Amzalag	The Israeli Andalusian Orchestra is an unequaled phenomenon in the field of classical music in the world and in Israel in particular. The Orchestra’s unique repertory fuses the ancient heritage of the authentic andalusian music with contemporary instruments played by musicians trained in western classical music.
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	If the audience know the music that is called Andalusian - in memory of the Jews who came to North Africa from Spain and Portugal - it will clap and sing. Over the past year more than 300 letters and hundreds of phone calls came to the Israel Andalusian Orchestra (IAO) offices in Ashdod. The only orchestra of its kind in the world, the IAO inaugurates its second season tomorrow, at the Ramle Municipal Auditorium, with a concert of instrumental and vocal music featuring Emil Zrihan. This year the IAO will play a series of five concerts in nine cities. "The emphasis," says IAO music director Dr. Avi Ilam-Amzalag "will be on vocal music and D'jiri, or Algerian style. The 35-member IAO is made up of classically trained musicians from the former USSR and those who play traditional instruments, such as the mandolin and the oud, who have never seen a musical note. This music, which Ilam-Amzalag likens to a rich language with 1,000 dialects, is part of a vast and ancient oral tradition, "and now I am writing it down," he says.	The 1996 budget is NIS 2 Million. 50% of which comes from the Ministry of Education and Culture, 25% from the Ashdod municipality and 25% is earned income. The IAO hopes to broaden its subscriber base from 2,000 to 3,000 this year and plans an international Andalusian music festival for next summer. HELEN KAYE - The Jerusalem Post 21 October 1996