- Ilona Feher Foundation
The Ilona Feher Foundation was established in 2003 as a
nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the artistic development of exceptional youngIsraeli violinist s. The foundation honors the late violin pedagogueIlona Feher (1901-1988) whose guidance helped shape some ofIsrael 's greatest violinists, notablePinchas Zukerman ,Shlomo Mintz ,Shmuel Ashkenasi ,Hagai Shaham andIttai Shapira .The foundation is set up to award promising young violinists grants which may be applied towards various
performing opportunities,recordings , or instrumentloans .In addition, the foundation also provides opportunities for private
lessons ,master class es, and other intensive courses in Israel and abroad.In more than fifty years of teaching, Ilona Feher nurtured some of the finest violin
virtuosi of our generation (e.g., see above). Her students have collaborated with virtually every great orchestra, gracing the world's most prestigious stages from New York'sCarnegie Hall to Shanghai's Grand Theater. Recordings of artists taught by Feher can be found on every major recording label. She was essentially a pioneer in Israeli cultural life, not only changing it, but also nurturing Israel's first cultural ambassadors. AHolocaust survivor, Feher felt deeply responsible for the continued welfare of young Israeli artists and dedicated her life to her students. She is fondly remembered in the music world and beyond for her determination, commitment, and strong will.Beyond her great pedagogic skills, Ilona Feher is also remembered for the great care and attention she put into each student, sometimes allowing her lessons to run over four hours, and always limiting her roster of students to a small, select number of promising Israeli talents. In keeping with Feher's commitment to quality education, the foundation pledges to focus its efforts on a limited number of violinists, particularly those transitioning into professional careers.
This involves a net of highly respected, established musicians working together to advise, foster and guide budding Ilona Feher students. These colleagues will share their experience to give artistic advice and also monitor the young violinist's career. Careful guidance is essential for any young artist. After intense training, whether privately or at music courses, slowly creating interest in the musical community through the net of musicians who have studied with Ilona Feher. Help on many fronts is needed at that point: promotional materials, recording demos, etc. There are not many other organization that focuses on every area that is needed to develop a top notch musical career.
The Foundation has received collaboration from top organizations such as the
Jerusalem Music Center , theAmerican Israeli Cultural Foundation , The Israeli Consulate in New York, USA, theJuilliard School , and theRoyal College of Music in London, among others.The foundation was founded by
Hagai Shaham andIttai Shapira .Board Members:
*Nechemia Dagan ,Glen Roven ,Hagai Shaham ,Ittai Shapira ,Mark Steinberg .Advisory Committee:
*Shmuel Ashkenasi ,Christopher T. Dunworth ,Pamela Frank ,Miriam Fried ,Dick Hyman ,Jamie Laredo ,Yoel Levi ,Cho-Liang Lin ,Shlomo Mintz ,János Starker ,Arnold Steinhardt ,Shulamit Ran ,Amnon Weinstein ,Eric Wen .References
*Dr. Samuel Appelbaum, Dr. Mark Zilberquit, Henry Roth, "The way they play - Ilona Feher" - Book 11, pp. 47-97, Paganinia Publications, Inc., 1983, ISBN 0-87666-799-X
* [http://www.storionifestival.nl/en/?page=285 Ron Ephrat] , "Ilona Feher" - In memoriam article in [http://www.thestrad.com/ The Strad] , special edition dedicated to Heifetz (1988).External links
* [http://www.feherfoundation.org/ The Ilona Feher Foundation's official web site]
* [http://www.hagaishaham.com/ See The Ilona Feher Foundation's page in Hagai Shaham's official web site (Projects)]
* [http://www.ittaishapira.com/ Ittai Shapira]
* [http://members.aol.com/micke5000/music1/Feher_Foundation.htm The Ilona Feher Foundation's unofficial web site]
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