Symphonies for peace in the war-torn Caucasus

Published: 15 October 2019

Last updated: 4 March 2024

Can the lessons learned in Israel by a leading orchestra, help bring peace to the conflict-torn Caucasus region? James Imam attended a new music festival to find out

WHEN THE TANKS ROLLED into Israel, Avi Shoshani discovered the power of music to unite. The Yom Kippur War was raging in 1973, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) was giving free performances on the home front.

“Concert halls were absolutely packed,” says Shoshani. “There was a curfew, there was a war. But people wanted something that reminded them they could hang onto beauty, to hang onto culture.”

Now Shoshani, general manger of the IPO, is taking that vision into another conflict-ridden region: wedged between Russia, Turkey and Iran, the Caucasus region is a microcosm of broader geopolitical tensions.

That has not stopped Shoshani and his associates from launching a classical music festival at its heart. Earlier this month on a remote Georgian country estate the Tsinandali Festival took place, ending last weekend.

FULL STORY The beauty of music can lead to peace (Jewish Chronicle)

Photo: Avi Shoshani (Image: Sopo Melikidze)