In view of the stagnation in the 4-year negotiations for the release of Gilad Schalit, who is held in a Hamas Prison in Gaza, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has joined forces with the Public Headquarters for the Saviour of Gilad in a unique attempt to vocalize the terrible pain of Gilad Shalit's imprisonment and seclusion.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a concert conducted by Music Director Zubin Mehta in the afternoon of the 5th of July, 2010 as a tribute to Gilad Shalit and a testament to the pain felt by his family, friends, and all of Israel. The concert will feature selections from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary Israeli songs performed by the IPO, the Jerusalem Academy Choir, and soloists Shlomo Artzi and Daniela Skorka.
The open-air concert will take place in Park Eshkol, a public park near the Gaza-Israel border, with the hope that the Orchestra’s sounds will reach Gilad. The event will be secured and supervised by the I.D.F. and the police.
Transportation to the concert is provided and admission is free. Buses to Kibbutz Kfar Aza will be leaving from:
Tel Aviv - Arlozorov Station, 15:00
Jerusalem - Binyanei HaUma, 15:30
Haifa - Hof HaKarmel Train Station, 13:30
Be'er Sheva - Sports center next to the University, 16:00
The goal of the concert is to convey the cry of pain in any way we can: international media; Maestro Mehta and the Orchestra; speeches; and, of course, a large audience who will come from all over the country to express their empathy and support.