Cantors hold American premier in Fort Myers
Special to Florida Weekly

COURTESY PHOTO The Cantors perform worldwide.

The Gulf Coast Symphony presents "Cantors: A Faith in Song" on Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Conceived as a PBS special, this show has toured internationally and nationally, and makes its first appearance in Southwest Florida. This is also the American Premiere of the full orchestra version of the show, which has only been heard in Europe.

The concert features three of the worlds greatest living Cantors: Benzion Miller from New York, Alberto Mizrahi from Chicago, and Naftali Herstik, from Israel, where he is the Cantor at the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. The concert is a joyous mixture of Jewish, Yiddish, Cantorial and secular music set to soaring new orchestra scores by the great Jewish composer and arranger Benedict Weisser. Gulf Coast Symphony Maestro Andrew Kurtz has been the tour conductor for the show since 2004 and he will accompany them to Brazil, Spain and Israel later this year.

"The experience of leading these concerts across the United States has been one of the most profound experiences in my life," Kurtz said. "The combination of working with three Cantors who are of the greatest of the great and passing along Cantorial traditions along-side popular secular melodies and Yiddish tunes makes each performance as amazing as the last. We have yet to perform for and audience that wasn't clapping, cheering and singing along by the end of the concert."

The "Cantors: A Faith in Song" was born in September 2003, during an historic concert of cantorial and secular music taped in the revered Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. In the magnificent candlelit setting of this 17th century synagogue, the three leading Jewish Cantors of our time performed an evening of popular and religious Jewish song arranged by Weisser. Cantors Alberto Mizrahi, Naftali Herstik and Benzion Miller were accompanied by the Netherlands Theater Orchestra and London's Ne'imah Singers. For centuries classical Jewish liturgical music has been a constant element in the synagogue service and the role of the Cantor is not only to lead this vocal music, but also to pass on the traditional melodies from generation to generation.

KURTZ

The Gulf Coast Symphony draws its members from Naples to Port Charlotte and has performed to sold-out audiences. This is the Symphony's 13th season and again features its highly popular Symphonic Sensations Concert Series at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, its Galloway Magic Carpet Family Concert Series, its Estero Park, and its ACCESS Classical Concerts at Bishop Verot's Anderson Theater. The Gulf Coast Symphony sponsors a comprehensive arts education program, Musical Gateways, dedicated to providing ongoing educational opportunities for adult and youth alike, that includes in depth artist residencies for its partner schools and the entire community. The Gulf Coast Symphony rehearses weekly from September through May. There are currently openings in the string, trombone, oboe and bassoon sections. For more information on orchestra membership call the Symphony office at 489-1800 or email us at info@gulfcoastsymphony.org