Guests from Israel

Press, 7 March 1984, Page 15

Guests from Israel

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will give a concert in the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday. The concert opens the orchestra’s 1984 subscription season in Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch Festival. The concert will be conducted by... Doran, Salomon from Israel and will feature Boris Belkin, a Russian violinist, now living in Israel.

Doron Salomon was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he began his musical studies. In 1974 he was awarded a scholarship by the American Israeli Cultural Foundation for studies overseas and he went to the Royal. College of Music in London to specialise in conducting, composition and classical guitar. He completed the conducting course at the College with distinction, twice winning the Sir Adrian Boult conducting prize as well as the Sir Theodor Stier prize. During that time he also took part in master classes in conducting held by Maestro Franco Ferrara in Siena, Italy, and by Leonard Bernstein in Jerusalem. In the summer of 1979 he participated in a conducting competition held by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, winning first prize. Two weeks later he took part in the prestigious

competition in Besancon, France, and there won first prize. This success led to invitations from all the orchestras in Israel, including the Israel Philharmonic, and many orchestras in France.

In September 1980 Doron Salomon was called urgently to replace Robert Craft at a concert in the Berlin Festival with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1982 Mr Salomon was invited by the Radio Orchestra of Milan to conduct a televised concert, by Leonard Bernstein to take girt in his concert with the rael Philharmonic, and replaced Riccardo Chailly in a

tour of Israel with the Israel Philharmonic. When he came to New Zealand for his first four-week engagement with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, he was again called in at short notice, and his success .led to an immediate reinvitation for a tour this year.

Boris Belkin trained at the Moscow Conservatory and has performed with a number of international orchestras. He emigrated from Russia in 1976 and has. been living in Israel since then. He replaces the French piano duo, the Labeque Sisters who were to have appeared in the concert.