NEW YORK, United States – Actress Mayim Bialik will host a global virtual celebration of the Israel Philharmonic as the renowned Israeli orchestra marks 90 years since its founding.
Together in Music: A Celebration of the Israel Philharmonic will stream free worldwide on Sunday, October 25, at 2 p.m. EDT and will remain available on demand through November 24.
The digital event will combine performances by the Israel Philharmonic with personal stories and reflections from Music Director Lahav Shani, orchestra musicians, patrons and friends.
Organizers describe the program as an opportunity for the Israel Philharmonic’s international community to celebrate the orchestra’s nine decades of music and its place in Israeli cultural life.
The program will span classical music, jazz and popular music, including works associated with George Gershwin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Count Basie, Charlie Chaplin and Neal Hefti.
The program will include an excerpt from Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue; excerpts from both Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and the Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn interpretation of The Nutcracker; and Chaplin’s “Smile,” arranged by Shani.
The orchestra will also perform Israeli composer Itamar Gross’s “Variations on the Land,” Hefti’s “Two Franks,” arranged by Jörg A. Keller, and Basie’s “The Kid from Red Bank,” arranged by Shani.
Mayim Bialik To Host
Bialik, an actress, author, and neuroscientist, is widely known for playing Blossom Russo in the 1990s television series Blossom and neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory.
Her performance on The Big Bang Theory earned her four Emmy nominations.
Bialik later hosted Jeopardy! and received another Emmy nomination. She also co-hosts Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown with Jonathan Cohen, a podcast exploring subjects at the intersection of science, mental health, and spirituality.
She holds a bachelor’s degree and a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and wrote the bestselling books Girling Up and Boying Up.
Bialik has also been outspoken about her Jewish identity and support for Israel, particularly since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023.
Nine Decades Of The Israel Philharmonic
The Israel Philharmonic traces its history to 1936, when Polish-born Jewish violinist Bronislaw Huberman founded what was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra.
Huberman’s project provided a professional home for Jewish musicians fleeing growing antisemitism and Nazi persecution in Europe.
Its inaugural concert was held in Tel Aviv on December 26, 1936, conducted by legendary Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini.
Following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the ensemble became the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Over the decades, the orchestra has become one of Israel’s most internationally recognized cultural institutions, performing at home and on tours throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Its home is the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, while the orchestra also performs regularly in Jerusalem, Haifa and other Israeli communities.
Lahav Shani Leads A New Generation
The anniversary celebration will also highlight Music Director Lahav Shani, who represents a new generation in the orchestra’s history.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1989, Shani’s relationship with the Israel Philharmonic began long before he became its music director.
In 2007, he performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto with the orchestra under longtime Music Director Zubin Mehta.
Mehta subsequently invited Shani to accompany the orchestra on its 2010 Far East tour, where he served as pianist, assistant conductor and double bass player.
Shani’s international career accelerated after he won the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg in 2013.
The Israel Philharmonic later selected him to succeed Mehta, who had led the orchestra for decades and became one of the figures most closely associated with it internationally.
Shani has also served as chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and has conducted many of the world’s leading ensembles, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
In September 2026, he began his tenure as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic.
A Global Celebration
The October 25 program reflects the Israel Philharmonic’s long-standing combination of Israeli identity and international musical culture.
From Gershwin and Tchaikovsky to Ellington, Basie and contemporary Israeli composition, the repertoire stretches well beyond the traditional boundaries of a conventional symphonic concert.
It will also provide an opportunity to look back at an institution founded during one of the darkest periods in modern Jewish history.
Ninety years after Huberman brought together Jewish musicians fleeing Europe, the orchestra he created remains one of Israel’s most prominent cultural institutions.
Together in Music: A Celebration of the Israel Philharmonic will stream free on October 25 at 2 p.m. EDT and 11 a.m. PDT, with on-demand viewing available through November 24.
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