Music as a Sanctuary
special edition
A week-long residency festival offers young musicians more than cultural exchange and technical refinement — it provides transformative international encounters to inspire excellence, foster resilience, and promote cross-cultural understanding through music
This collaboration unites 45 outstanding young musicians from Israel, Europe, and the United States for an intensive artistic residency culminating in concerts in Germany and Israel
A special collaboration between the Jerusalem Music Centre, the Althafen Foundation, and the Landesakademie Ochsenhausen, supported by the Embassy of the State of Israel in Germany on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany
©Yael Ilan
about
Dates
October 3rd–12th, 2025
Location
Landesakademie Ochsenhausen (Germany)
Jerusalem Music Center (Israel)
Focus Areas
Classical Music, Cultural Exchange, Career Development, Holocaust Remembrance
Active Members
Jerusalem Music Centre (JMC)
Landesakademie Ochsenhausen
Althafen Foundation
Embassy of the State of Israel in Germany
Mission
To unite young musicians from diverse backgrounds in a shared artistic and cultural experience that promotes excellence, remembrance, and forward-looking career empowerment.
Approach
Participants take part in intensive musical training led by internationally recognized faculty, combined with practical workshops on digital presence, fundraising, and mental resilience. A newly commissioned piece by Udi Perlman, inspired by the music of Josima Feldschuh, is developed and premiered during the program. The festival concludes with concerts in Ochsenhausen and Jerusalem, offering participants real-world performance experience and cross-cultural collaboration.
Impact
Music as a Sanctuary builds cross-cultural connections and equips the next generation of talented musicians with artistic and professional skills. The program advances Holocaust remembrance, preserves musical legacies, and links historical memory with contemporary creation.
partners
The Jerusalem Music Centre (JMC) is Israel’s leading hub for young classical talent, offering advanced training and national outreach since 1973. The driving force of Music as a Sanctuary, JMC selects and prepares participants, oversees local concerts, and supports long-term development through international exchange.
Landesakademie Ochsenhausen is a leading German music academy known for its immersive training programs. As host of the European residency for Music as a Sanctuary, it provides rehearsal space, accommodation, and concert venues while supporting program delivery and cultural exchange.
Althafen Foundation is a Berlin-based nonprofit supporting artists through programs in cultural innovation, digital strategy, and career development. In Music as a Sanctuary, it co-leads program design, communications, and training on career development, while producing digital content and fostering long-term partnerships.
faculty
Music as a Sanctuary is led by internationally recognized performers and educators from top institutions in Europe, Israel, and the U.S
With experience across global stages and conservatories, the faculty offers practical insight into artistic growth and career development
Participants benefit from direct mentorship, gaining tools and feedback to advance musically and professionally
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Udi Perlman
Resident Composer -
Prof. Caroline Emery (Double Bass)
Professor of Double Bass at the Royal College of Music, London; also teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School and Eton College -
Prof. Richard Aaron (Cello)
Professor of Cello at the University of Michigan and The Juilliard School; faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music -
Prof. Hans Jørgen Jensen (Cello)
Professor of Cello at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University -
Prof. Leonid Gorokhov (Cello)
Professor of Cello at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, Germany, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London -
Prof. Yair Kless (Violin)
International Chair in Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music, UK; former Head of the String Department at the Rubin Academy of Music in Israel -
Prof. Zvi Carmeli (Viola)
Senior Lecturer at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and chamber music faculty at the Julius Stern Institute, Universität der Künste Berlin; former solo violist of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic -
Prof. Leonid Kerbel (Violin)
Founder and Artistic Director of the Musica Mundi School in Belgium; former Violin Professor at the Brussels Conservatory of Music -
Prof. Boris Garlitsky (Violin)
Professor of Violin at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen, Germany -
Prof. Grigory Kalinovsky (Violin)
Professor of Violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music -
Prof. Ida Bieler (Violin)
Professor of Violin at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf; the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; and the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz
roadmap
Applications are open for outstanding young string players from Europe and Israel. Selected participants are notified by early summer.
March to June 2025
Participants gather at the Landesakademie Ochsenhausen for an intensive residency combining training, artistic collaboration, and performances. A special focus during the week includes Holocaust remembrance and the premiere of a new commissioned work.
October 3–12, 2025
Following the residency, participants perform in concerts in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, strengthening cross-cultural connections and sharing their work with broader audiences.
October 19, 2025
apply
Applications are now open and may be submitted directly through the Jerusalem Music Centre's official website