The Arad youth string ensemble is coming to New-Jersey and Delaware. It is the first time that the string ensemble is visiting the States. The string ensemble is part of the Arad Conservatory.

The Conservatory of Arad was founded 26 years ago for the specific purpose of serving as a music school for the youth of the nine-year-old settlement, located only 25 kilometers from the Dead Sea. Within a few years, the Youth Band (Concert Band) of wind instruments was well established, performing in schools and local events throughout the community. It did not take long for the collection of instruments to grow to its current state of a near complete symphonic orchestra, as well as a piano, organ, accordion, and recorder. Today, the Conservatory is host to almost 200 students, 20 teachers, most are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, an administrative director, secretary, and two maintenance staff.

Daily Conservatory activities take place in either the conservatory or the band hall. These two buildings contain classrooms for learning and practicing, a rehearsal hall for the concert band, and a concert hall with a seating capacity of 115 seats.

As part of the formal education system in Israel, the Music Department of the Ministry of Education oversees the Conservatory. The teachers are certified in music education and have themselves been educated in some of the finest academic music institutions in the world. Students may elect to take their matriculation examinations in music and, therefore, go on to apply to one of the many academic music institutions throughout the country.

The educational program is structured around instrumental lessons, music theory, chamber music studies, and orchestral studies. Theory and history of music are compulsory for four years. Education begins as early as age five and may continue until recruitment into the army at age 18. In addition attending group classes for two hours each week, students also receive one hour per week of individual study. According to proficiency level, each student plays in one chamber music ensemble: string quartet, brass quintet, or saxophone quartet, and in one orchestra: Junior Youth Band, Concert Band, String Ensemble, or one of the Recorder Ensembles. In addition, the Conservatory offers an adult classical choir, which meets one evening per week.

The budget consists of tuition fees and allocations from both the Ministry of Education and the City of Arad. Due to the current economic situation in Israel, tuition fees increased by 22% in the past year.

Scholarships : Private donors, the Ministry of Education, and the City of Arad fund scholarships. The City of Arad offers discounts for students who would otherwise be unable to afford tuition to the Conservatory. Unfortunately, this year's budget for such important cultural subsidies has decreased, along with the number of students able to receive such funding.

The string ensemble is composed of 14 teenagers ages 10-17. Most of them were born in former USSR and made aliyah to Israel a few years ago. The conductor of the ensemble Mr. Valeri Somorov also made aliyah from USSR 1992.

The ensemble repertoire is diverse from classic to modern music. In March 2000 the ensemble will tour our partnership community and visit Monmouth County, North Jersey, Cherry Hill, Ocean County, Cumberland, Delaware, Atlantic-Cape May .

The string ensemble project has been budgeted by Partnership 2000 . The goals of the string ensemble project are: to build people to people connections between Arad-Tamar and NJDE, to help Americans better understand the aliyah from the FSU to Israel, to give talented young musicians contacts and experiences that will help them in their careers and to raise funds for the Arad Conservatory

Adar Bet 5760 - March 2000