The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (JSO) undertook a Japanese tour from 19 November to 4 December, performing 12 concerts under conductors Tomomi Nishimoto and Hisayoshi Inoue. Cellist Dmitry Yablosky and two local pianists joined the orchestra.

The tour repertoire included the Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191 by Antonin Dvorak and the Symphony No.1inCminor,Op.68by Johannes Brahms. The tour took the orchestra to many cities across the country.

As part of the preparation for the tour, renowned Japanese maestra Tomomi Nishimoto led the orchestra in a concert on 12 November at the Jerusalem Theater.

Born in Osaka, Nishimoto started her piano studies under her mother’s guidance at the age of three. After receiving her Bachelor of Music degree in composition from the Osaka College of Music, she continued her conducting studies the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. She has conducted many famous orchestras in Japan and Europe, and has received several awards.

The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, IBA, was founded as the Palestine Broadcasting Service Orchestra in the late 1930s. In 1948 it became the national radio orchestra and was known as the “Kol Israel Orchestra”. In the 1970s, the orchestra was expanded into the JSO Israel Broadcasting Authority. As a radio symphony orchestra, the JSO holds most of its concerts at its resident hall, the Henry Crown Auditorium.

_{(Issue Dec 2016)}