HISTORY
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1936 by Bronislaw Huberman to save the lives of Europe’s Jewish musicians from the Holocaust. The Orchestra would go on to attract Arturo Toscanini to conduct its first concert, perform Hatikvah at the official ceremony of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, and grow alongside the State of Israel, with monumental performances led by Leonard Bernstein and Kurt Masur. Under the leadership of Music Director Zubin Mehta, the Orchestra would foster generations of Israeli artists and lead the Orchestra on world tours, serving as the most significant cultural ambassador for the State of Israel.
After Maestro Mehta’s extraordinary 50-year tenure, the brilliant Israeli conductor and pianist Lahav Shani assumed the position of Music Director in the Orchestra’s 2020-2021 season. Maestro Shani is the second Music Director in the history of the IPO, ushering in a new chapter for an iconic institution.
IPO MILESTONES
1934
In response to Hitler, violinist Bronislaw Huberman created the Orchestra, auditioning Jewish musicians across Europe. He chose only the very best, leading to what became known as an “orchestra of soloists.” Nearly 1,000 musicians and their families immigrated to Israel.
1936
On December 26th, the Orchestra played its first concert in Tel Aviv under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, who declared “I am doing this for humanity.” Crowds stood outside near the windows and climbed on rooftops to hear. The ovation at the end of the night lasted over 30 minutes.
1948
The State of Israel was born, and the IPO played Hatikvah at the Declaration of Independence ceremony on May 14, 1948.
1951
The IPO embarked on their first tour of the United States and Canada. Concerts were led by Maestros Serge Koussevitzky, Leonard Bernstein, Eleazar Carvalho and Izler Solomon.
1961
Zubin Mehta conducted his first concert with the IPO at age 25, as the Orchestra celebrated its 25th anniversary.
1967
Leonard Bernstein conducted Mahler’s Second “Resurrection” Symphony and Hatikvah on Mount Scopus to mark an end to the Six-Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem.
1971
The IPO was invited to take part in festivals in Europe. The Berlin audience responded to Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 by demanding an encore. Mehta declared: “Hatikvah,” and thus the Israeli national anthem was played 500 meters from the Reichstag.
1973
During the Yom Kippur War, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra presented a concert across the State of Israel, from the Golan to the Sinai.
1980
American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was formally established to increase the reach of the Orchestra through financial support of national and international tours and educational programs.
1981
The IPO named Zubin Mehta “Music Director for Life.”
1987
Zubin Mehta and the IPO visited Auschwitz on a concert tour to Poland, Russia, Latvia and Hungary.
1992
The IPO celebrated its 10,000th concert.
1994
The IPO toured China and India for the first time. Their televised concert in Mumbai, Zubin Mehta’s hometown, was seen live by more than 200 million people.
2000
The IPO introduced its first full season of Keynote, the education and community engagement program of the Orchestra.
2005
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Tel Aviv University established the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music.
2006
In August, in response to the Haifa bombings, IPO chamber ensembles traveled throughout the Northern region of Israel to perform concerts.
2009
Zubin Mehta and the IPO’s extensive South America tour took them from Campinas, Brazil to Santiago, Chile, including the Instituto Baccarelli, a music academy serving underprivileged communities.
2016
The Orchestra celebrated the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Orchestra.
2017
Zubin Mehta announced his retirement from the IPO; Lahav Shani is named Music Director Designate.
2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, concert halls shuttered, and the Israel Philharmonic called off their touring season for the first time in the orchestra’s history. The Israel Philharmonic went virtual, creating dozens of original digital programs and connecting with millions across the globe in over 84 countries.
2022
Under Maestro Lahav Shani’s baton, the Israel Philharmonic performed in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, marking the first performance in 74 years of the orchestra in an Arab country—the last being in Cairo, Egypt in 1945. The orchestra opened the concert with Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah”—the first performance of the anthem in an Arab country ever.
2023
After the outbreak of war in October, the Israel Philharmonic performed a “Salute to Israel” program that was broadcast live across the world to thousands but performed to an empty concert hall. The IPO affixed pictures of all the hostages on the first rows of the empty chairs in the hall with the message “BRING THEM HOME” shining outside of Bronfman Auditorium.
