Berlioz and Milch-Sheriff with the Israel Symphony Orchestra

Dan Ettinger leads the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon in a dynamic program contrasting 19th century French romanticism with a resonant world premiere by Israeli composer Ella Milch-Sheriff.

The program opens with the world premiere of Milch-Sheriff’s Ahlam (Dreams) for two female voices and orchestra, featuring soprano Shani Oshri and mezzo-soprano Rona Shrira. Sung in four languages—Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, and Judeo-Yemeni—the score draws musical inspiration from traditional Persian women’s folk songs and Yemeni melodies. As the two vocalists alternate across tongues and traditions, Ahlam weaves a complex tapestry of overlapping identities, reflecting on cultural intersection and contemporary regional conflicts.

Ettinger concludes the evening leading the orchestra in Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14. Berlioz’s narrative explores the expressive limits of purely instrumental storytelling, and Ettinger’s approach to the score has garnered widespread praise for its vivid theatricality, tightly controlled dynamic arcs, and transparent balance across massive orchestral forces.

Performances take place at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 2 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center (The Opera House), and Tuesday, November 3 at the Heichal HaTarbut (Cultural Center) in Rishon LeZion.