ABOUT US

Why a Foundation for Jewish Music Projects?

Much of the music by Jewish composers never received the attention it deserves because of antisemitism and repression. Great music, unknown to the world, will turn to dust in archives if it can’t be heard…

The Dutch Foundation for Jewish Music Projects (JMP) was established in Amsterdam, March 27th, 2001 under its Dutch name Stichting Joodse Muziek Projecten. Its mission is to bring this music to the concert hall.

After a meeting in 1999 with singer Mascha Benya in New York, who told her about the composers who founded the Jewish Folk Music Society in St. Petersburg in 1908, Dutch singer Sovali (Sofie van Lier) went looking for more information. Despite her education as a musicologist, she was not familiar with this society and its composers, but the scores she received from Mascha aroused her curiosity. While searching for scores Sovali met other musicians who were also interested in this music and would like to co-operate, such as Israeli pianist Anat Fort and American clarinetist Perry Robinson both from New York, Dutch/Russian cellist Alexander Oratovski from Liège, Russian violinist Grigory Sedukh from St. Petersburg, Dutch/Russian violinist Boris Goldenblank from Maastricht, Dutch/Libyan percussionist Alberto Haliffi from Amsterdam, and Dutch pianists Sander Sittig and Paul Prenen both from Amsterdam.

Our main projects

  • The GNESIN PROJECT / A TRIBUTE TO MIKHAIL GNESIN
    featuring songs and chamber music by Mikhail Gnesin (1883-1957)
  • ZUN MIT A REGN / SUN AND RAIN
    featuring songs and chamber music by Mieczyslaw Weinberg (1919-1996), Veniamin Basner (1925-1996) and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
  • CURTAIN CALL for the ST. PETERSBURG JEWISH MUSIC SOCIETY (1908) – 100th Anniversary
    featuring songs and piano music by Joseph Achron (1886-1943), Moshe Milner (1886-1953), Mikhail Gnesin (1883-1957), Alexander Krein (1883-1951) and Alexander Veprik (1899-1958)

Our performances in the years 2002 – 2009 were recorded and released on CD.
We will soon release the recordings for streaming over the Web so that they are accessible to a wider audience.

Legal structure of the Foundation

Supervisory Board:
Peter Polak (chairman), Sofie van Lier (secretary), Robert Kuiper (treasurer), Sheila Gogol (board member), Donald Bleijleve (board member).

Coordination:
Sofie van Lier

Contact:
E-mail: info@joodsemuziekprojecten.nl
sovaliconsort@gmail.com
Phone: +31 (0)20 662 3675

Bank account number:
IBAN NL24 INGB 0009 3165 35

Jewish Music Projects (JMP) is a nonprofit “Stichting” of Dutch law, registered in the Dutch commercial register with number: 34171768

Financial support has been given by:
VSBfonds, SNS Reaal fonds, Stichting Collectieve Maror-gelden, M.A.O.C. Gravin van Bylandt Stichting, Prins Bernhard Cultuur Fonds, Wilhelmina E. Jansen Fonds, Stichting Pro Musis, Maatschappij tot Nut der Israëlieten in Nederland, C.O.S. (Centraal Overleg Subsidie-aanvragen, De Joodse Invalide), Fonds voor Amateurkunst en Podiumkunsten (FAPK), ThuisKopie Fonds, Jewish Community Center St. Petersburg, Dutch Embassies in Switzerland, United Kingdom and Russia.

 

“With her work soprano Sovali (Sofie van Lier) erects a lasting monument to Jewish Soviet composers who had to work under cover during the Stalin Regime.”

CD review “Musical Heroes” by Jan Waas (NIW, 23 Oct., 2009)