Acclaimed orchestra and soloist perform AMP-winning Nigunim in Berlin
The Werner-Otto-Saal, Konzerthaus Berlin, was the setting of a well-attended and well-received AMP Performance Fund concert on Saturday, May 18th.
The concert, which was performed by the Berlin Academy of American Music (BAAM) and acclaimed Israeli-American violin soloist Guy Braunstein, featured a very fine performance of Avner Dorman’s Nigunum (Violin Concerto No. 2) for solo violin and orchestra.
Dorman received the 2018 Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music for his composition. The $50,000 cash prize is granted biennially to a composer who has written the best new major work of Jewish Music and is accompanied by a world premiere gala performance, two international performances and a professional recording of the prize-winning work.
Dorman, an Israeli-born composer who now lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has garnered numerous awards and prizes. At the age of 25, he became the youngest composer to win Israel’s prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for his Ellef Symphony. He has gone on to earn several international awards from ASCAP, ACUM and the Asian Composers League. He holds a doctorate in composition from the Juilliard School and currently serves as Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College and as Music Director of the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra.
Dorman explains the genesis of his composition. “When writing Nigunim, I was most interested in exploring the music of various Jewish traditions from around the world. The diversity and wealth of musical traditions I discovered astounded me, ranging from North African cantillation to Central Asian wedding music, and from Balkan rhythms to ancient prayers. I tried to embody both the unique features and deep commonalities of these traditions in my composition.”
The Azrieli Music Prizes Performance Fund supports professional music ensembles from around the world in preparing and presenting excellent public performances of AMP-winning works. BAAM was selected to receive support from the Fund to give the German premiere of Nigunim.
Offering innovative programming that attracts both existing and new audiences, BAAM’s focus is on the works of American and American immigrant composers. Within this niche, their aim is to expand the representation of historically underrepresented composers and shed light on relevant related topics. For example, in June of 2023 BAAM curated a concert program to address the recent rise in antisemitism.
In his personal recommendation of BAAM and its Music Director, Garrett Keast, Dorman wrote to the Performance Fund Jury: “Their demonstrated dedication to performance excellence makes me confident in their ability to deliver a compelling and exquisite rendition of Nigunim.”
Keast opened the May 18th concert by thanking the Azrieli Music Prizes for its generous support through the Performance Fund and noted the important role that such performances play in sharing this music with the world and helping it find new audiences.
After the performance, Keast added about the success of the evening, “This concert was a major step for our organization, our first in the Konzerthaus Berlin, where we are establishing a yearly contemporary series. The concert would not have happened without Avner’s idea for us to apply for this support. We are delighted to have showcased his Nigunim with such an outstanding soloist in Guy Braunstein and our world class musicians.”
