Beyond Spock

Kristallnacht Concert
A sold-out crowd attended “Shining through Broken Glass” on November 9 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht and celebrate 1,000 years of Jewish music and culture. The concert was narrated by internationally acclaimed actor and director Leonard Nimoy.

Left (Left to Right): Elaine & Barry Fain, concert co-chairs; Leonard Nimoy, director of “Shining Through Broken Glass”; Debbie & Ellis Waldman, concert co-chairs.

Source: Rhode Island Monthly

Shining Through Broken Glass (2008)
An Ecumenical Concert of Memory and Hope, 70 Years after Kristallnacht

Noted actor and director Leonard Nimoy will narrate a concert to commemorate Kristallnacht in a one-night only performance called SHINING THROUGH BROKEN GLASS, to be held on Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island.
Tickets: $25, $50, $75, $100 (discounts for seniors and students)

SHINING THROUGH BROKEN GLASS, a historic concert of memory and hope exactly 70 years to the day after Kristallnacht, that infamous night in 1938 when the Nazi regime unleashed terror of epic proportions throughout Germany and Austria. SHINING THROUGH BROKEN GLASS is a dramatic and choral concert that will expand appreciation of the achievements of 1000 years of Jewish music, culture and art, and give meaning to the lessons learned from the Holocaust. This concert will feature an ecumenical adult and youth choir of over 200 voices from synagogues, churches, schools and colleges in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, four cantorial soloists and a 40-piece professional orchestra. The beautifully restored, historic Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island will be the venue for this very special performance.

Produced by Temple Emanu-El of Providence, Rhode Island, in partnership with the Holocaust Education and Resource Center of RI, “This concert has been in the making for 10 years,” says Cantor Dr. Brian Mayer of Temple Emanu-El. “I knew we needed some spectacular way of paying tribute to the millions of Jews, gays and lesbians, gypsies and anyone not considered to be ‘Aryan enough,’ who perished in the Holocaust.” With more than 30 historical musical selections, including the music of renowned Viennese cantor, Salomon Sulzer and Berlin composer, Louis Lewandowski, the concert will take the audience from the time of the Middle Ages up to the 1930’s. Composer Arnold Schoenberg’s “Survivor of Warsaw” which demonstrates the horrors of the Holocaust will be performed by Mr. Nimoy, the orchestra and an all-male choir. The final section of the performance will use music to celebrate contemporary life, and to exemplify the message of Psalm 133: "How good it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in harmony"

The premier and only performance of Shining Through Broken Glass is definitely not to be missed. Tickets are available from the Veterans Memorial Auditorium Box Office (401-421-ARTS) or on line at www.vmari.org

Date and Time: Sunday, November 9, 2008. 7:00 p.m.

Place: Veterans Memorial Auditorium
1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, Rhode Island

Tickets: $25, $50, $75, $100 (discounts for seniors and students)

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - July 28, 2009) - Friends Of The Observatory (FOTO) will host and present the debut of "Cosmic Conjunction 2009: Music*Moonlight*Griffith Observatory," a special one-night-only concert at Griffith Observatory on Sunday, October 4, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., P.D.T. For the first time in the Observatory's history, a full symphony orchestra will perform on the Observatory lawn. The program will feature the world premiere of "Observations," an original orchestral composition by Arthur B. Rubinstein of Symphony In The Glen with live narration by Leonard Nimoy. This concert marks Griffith Observatory's first "Cosmic Conjunction," an annual program developed to link astronomy and the arts.

In addition to this event, "Cosmic Conjunction" will present a free concert performance for school children at The Greek Theatre located in Griffith Park, to provide under-served communities an unusual combination of astronomy and music. This performance offers young people an opportunity to experience astronomy through the medium of celestially-themed music and will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. P.D.T (details TBD).

Special guests attending the exclusive event Sunday, October 4 will enjoy a pre-concert VIP reception with notables such as Nimoy and 4th District Councilmember Tom LaBonge. All attendees are invited to dinner on the Observatory's front lawn followed immediately by a performance by Symphony In The Glen, a 67-piece orchestra conducted by Maestro Rubinstein.

Source: Marketwire.

The program featured compositions from the past five centuries that have an astronomical theme with a grand finale, the world premiere of "Observations," an original composition by Arthur B. Rubinstein of Symphony in The Glen with live narration by Star Trek's original "Mr. Spock," Leonard Nimoy.

To honor the International Year of Astronomy 2009, Friends of the Griffith Observatory (FOTO) hosted their first Cosmic Conjunction 2009: Music "Moonlight" Griffith Observatory, a special one-night-only concert and dinner on Oct. 4. For the first time in the venerable landmark's 74-year history, a full symphony orchestra performed beneath a full moon on the observatory lawn. More than 500 attended the Sunday evening event, which generated the funds for an additional morning concert held Oct. 6 for 3,600 southland middle and high school students. (...) FOTO also funded the bus transportation and supplied teachers with detailed notes and a CD to prepare their classes for the visit."

Source: Pasadena Star

NIMOY TO LEAD HISTORIC SPACE SHOW

STAR TREK star LEONARD NIMOY is to narrate the first astronomic orchestral concert on the lawn outside Hollywood landmark the Griffith Observatory.

Film and TV's Mr. Spock will be backed by the 67-piece Symphony in the Glen for the full moon performance of Arthur B. Rubinstein's Observations on 4 October (09).

It's the first time in the observatory's 74-year history that a full symphony orchestra has performed there.

The observatory has provided the backdrop for a host of classic movies, including Rebel without a Cause, The Terminator, Bowfinger and Transformers.

Source: Absolutely.net

These are the travails of the local cultural icon, ESO

I got to meet Mr. Spock! My wife wouldn’t let me wear my Starfleet uniform or put on my Vulcan ears, but the significance of that day is only superseded by the one where I had to say, “I do.” At least that’s what my wife tells me.

And I’ll never forget the Elgin Symphony Orchestra for providing me the opportunity to shake the hand of a cultural legend. I haven’t washed it since.

Back in September of 2008, Leonard Nimoy narrated a performance of Holst’s “The Planets,” and for a little extra cash, you could have your picture taken with the “Star Trek” star. And if there’s ever a fire, I’ll grab that autographed photo from the mantle first and go back for the kids later.

Cleveland Orchestra musician Richard Solis with Leonard Nimoy at a Cleveland Orchestra performance of Beethoven 9 in Miami in January 2007. Rick’s lapel pin is the insignia of the United Federation of Planets.

When I was growing up in Las Vegas, my parents did not allow a television in the house, thinking that it would contribute to bad grades in school. Well, I fooled them! I got bad grades anyway! I remember kids in high school talking about a show called Star Trek and a character named Spock. It was all foreign to me, but when I finally got a job with The Cleveland Orchestra in 1971, I bought a TV. Just about then, the networks began showing reruns of Star Trek. My wife, who had watched every episode of the original show, got me interested. I was always a Sci-Fi freak and fell right in line watching this relatively new series. I was completely hooked.

Compared to today’s technological wizardry, the show was visually rather lame, and some of the stories were pretty silly, but the overlying concept of a future where people were treated equally and compassionately, planet ecologies were respected, and discourse was favored over war, was hugely appealing to me. I watched the reruns over and over again.

Since then, my wife and I have watched every episode of every Star Trek show and spinoff that came along, in addition to every movie that was produced. When Enterprise went off the air (many thought it was a weak show; I thought its final season was actually quite good) we felt a huge emptiness. Fortunately, there is renewed interest in the Star Trek universe, and the recent movie was great fun in addition to being a fine movie.

I’m really looking forward to working with (and hopefully meeting) George Takei. The people who took part in that wonderful universe are slowly leaving us and we should cherish every opportunity to honor them.

--Rick Solis

Source: The Cleveland Orchestra

Star Trek Legend to Narrate Holst’s “The Planets” with NASA Projected Images of Spacecraft Missions

Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as “Spock” on Star Trek, will join the Nashville Symphony for its 2005-6 season opening gala concert on September 7 at 8 p.m. in TPAC. The celestial evening, led by guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and sponsored by First Tennessee, will include Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” and Gustav Holst’s The Planets, with Chorus Director George Mabry, women of the Nashville Symphony Chorus and Leonard Nimoy as narrator. Nimoy will replace Patrick Stewart, who had to withdraw recently because of conflicts with the shooting of a new film.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off the Nashville Symphony’s concert season than to have the iconic actor Leonard Nimoy narrate a multimedia presentation of Holst’s bold and exhilarating work, The Planets,” said Alan D. Valentine, President and CEO of the Nashville Symphony. “This exciting, cross-disciplinary program is representative of the range of programming we’re anticipating in the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center next season.”

In his role as narrator, Nimoy will introduce each of the seven movements of Holst’s orchestral suite and most celebrated work, The Planets, by giving brief historical and astronomical information about each planet represented. “Mars, The Bringer of War;” “Venus, The Bringer of Peace;” “Mercury, The Winged Messenger;” “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity;” “Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age;” “Uranus, The Magician;” and “Neptune, The Mystic,” will also be accompanied by a multimedia film presentation by Hatch Productions. This presentation will include dramatic film and photo images from NASA’s unmanned spacecrafts, including Voyagers 1 and 2 and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Source: Nashville Symphony

The Arab/Jewish Ensemble, a unique part of the acclaimed KeyNote Education and Outreach Program of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, traveled to the United States in June on a tour sponsored by AFIPO West Coast Chairmen Council members Susan Bay-Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy and American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The Ensemble performed at Temple Israel of Hollywood in Los Angeles, as part of The Nimoy Concert Series; at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco and at Temple Hevreh of Southern Berkshires in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

The eight musicians, that comprise the Arab/Jewish Ensemble, are three members of the IPO itself, who play their orchestral instruments, and five Arab friends and colleagues, who perform on traditional Arab instruments such as the oud, the ney and the darbuka. The Ensemble performs a musical program that represents both western and Middle Eastern traditions.

In Los Angeles, Leonard Nimoy greeted over 1,000 people in attendance at Temple Israel of Hollywood and the following evening, in San Francisco, at Congregation Emanu-El. Mr. Nimoy spoke to both audiences about the valuable contribution the Arab/Jewish Ensemble makes, not only to the music community, but by creating a microcosm of intercultural respect and peace.

In the Berkshires, Temple Hevreh of Southern Berkshires was filled to capacity for the Ensemble’s performance. In all three venues the music captivated the audiences’ attention with its combination of familiar strains and unique sounds, along with stories and often humorous tales by the Ensemble spokesman, IPO double bass player Peter Marck.

American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the support of the Nimoy Foundation for the West Coast tour of SheshBesh. In San Francisco, special appreciation and thanks to the ongoing generosity of the Koret Foundation and Carol and Ruud van Wijnen, for co-sponsoring this event. Also, a special thank you in San Francisco to: Cantor Roslyn Barak, David Akov, Consul General of Israel for the Pacific Northwest Region, Tamar Akov, Cultural Attaché, Consulate General of Israel for the Pacific Northwest Region, Alexis Denny, Diane and George Frankenstein and Theo Koffler. In the Berkshires we extend our appreciation to sponsors Jerry and Roger Tilles and concert producer David Winkler.

Photo: SheshBesh members (L-R) Yossi Arnheim (IPO flutist), Haya Samir (vocals), Alfred Hajjar (ney), Ramsis Kasis (oud), Bishara Naddaf (percussion), AFIPO West Coast Chairmen's Council member and sponsor of the SheshBesh tour, Leonard Nimoy, Eugenia Oren-Malkovski (IPO violist), Peter Marck (IPO double bass) and Wisam Gibran (oriental violin).

Source: American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orcestra

June 23, 2005
Spectator - Music First,

By Tom Tugend

Even during the tensest days of the intifada, the four Jewish and four Arab musicians of the SheshBesh ensemble performed before mixed -- and appreciative -- audiences.

The ensemble's fusion of western and Asian music and instruments can be heard Sunday, June 26, at Temple Israel of Hollywood, as part of the temple's Nimoy Concert Series.

"This unique group of classical artists from the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), and their equally skilled colleagues from the Arab musical tradition, reflect the best of multicultural Israel today," said actor Leonard Nimoy, who with his wife, Susan, is sponsoring the series.

Percussionist Bishara Naddaf has been with the ensemble since its beginning six years ago. His instrument is the deff, which looks like a tambour drum, and, in the hands of a master like Naddaf, can sound like an entire percussion section.

"I am a Christian Arab and my father did work on a kibbutz," Naddaf said. "During the school year, we visit schools throughout Israel and perform for the students."

When asked about attitudes among Arab and Jewishmembers of SheshBesh, which takes its name from a game similar to backgammon, Nadaff was effusive.

"We're first of all musicians and human beings, and in that there's no difference between Arab and Jew," he said. "We love each other and we embrace each other."

When it comes to discussing politics, "We talk a little among ourselves, but never in front of audiences," he said.

Nadaff's oldest friend on the ensemble is Peter Marck, who has been the IPO's principal double bass since 1979 and helped found its educational outreach program to schools. Other musicians are Yossi Arnheim, the IPO's principal flutist, violinist Wisam Gibran, Russian-born violinist Eugenia Oren-Malkovski and vocalist Haya Samir, a Jerusalemnite of Egyptian heritage.

Two masters of oriental instruments are Alfred Hajjar, who specializes on the flute-like ney, and Ramsis Kasis, who plays on and composes for the oud, the ancestor of the guitar and lute.

The concert by SheshBesh: The Arab-Jewish Ensemble, begins at 3 p.m., Sunday, June 26 at Temple Israel, 7300 Hollywood Blvd. Tickets range from $10-$25 for adults, and $8-$20 for children and seniors. For more information, call (213) 805-4261.

Source: Jewish Journal