Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance

The Jerusalem Conservatory of Music was founded in 1933. Thanks to funds donated by Samuel Rubin, a new building was erected in 1958, and its name was changed to the Rubin Academy of Music, reflecting its enhanced status. After the Dance Department was established, in 1960, the name was expanded to its present-day version. Since 1985, the Academy has been located, as an independent institution, on the grounds of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Givat Ram, West Jerusalem. At the time of Nordheim’s first trip to Israel, when he visited the Academy on 29 January 1990, its vice-chancellor was the conductor and composer Mendi Rodan (1929–2009), who from 1972 to 1976 appeared many times as guest conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Nordheim delivered a lecture on Norwegian music and presented the design for his installation at the world exhibition in Osaka, Poly-Poly. In a composition class, he spoke of the ideas contained in his works. He also held conversations with the composition teachersMark Kopytman, Tzvi Avni and Menachem Zur, as well as being made an honorary member of the Academy.

During Nordheim’s next visit to Israel, in 1996, Bat-Sheva Savaldi-Kolberg and Richard Assayas performed his Duplex for violin and viola in a concert at the Academy, and the trombonist Emma Boyd performed The Return of the Snark at the Eden-Tamir Centre. (jc)

www.jamd.ac.il