The World Premiere of Avner Dorman’s Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!

Avner Dorman’s new percussion concerto Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! receives its world premiere on April 2nd with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv (subsequent performances on April 4th and 6th follow).  The soloists are PercaDu, the virtuoso percussion duo that champions Dorman's popular work Udacrep Akubrad, upon which the first movement of the concerto is based.

Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! refers to three substances that are infinitely appealing, yet filled with danger.  Spices delight the palate, but can cause illness; perfumes seduce, but can also betray; toxins bring ecstasy, but can be deadly.  The concerto combines Middle Eastern drums, orchestral percussion, and rock drums with orchestral forces – a unique sound both enticing and dangerous.

Israeli-American composer Avner Dorman quickly rose to become one of Israel's most successful and renowned composers. At the age of 25, he became the youngest composer ever to win Israel's prestigious Prime Minister's Award. His works, exclusively published by G. Schirmer, have been commissioned and performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta and over a dozen other music ensembles, and earned him numerous prizes from esteemed international institutions. On May 16, 2006, Naxos, the World’s leading Classical Music Label will release a CD dedicated to Dorman’s piano music performed by rising star Eliran Avni. Avner Dorman lives in New York City where he is completing his Doctorate at the Juilliard School of Music, studying with composer John Corigliano.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrating its 70th season, is one of Israel’s oldest and most influential cultural institutions, and considered to be one of the world’s best orchestras. Bronislaw Huberman founded the orchestra in 1936 to save Jewish musicians in Europe from the Holocaust, which he foresaw. The inaugural concert was conducted by the legendary Arturo Toscanini to great acclaim. Particularly associated with the orchestra are conductors Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta. The former maintained close ties with the orchestra from 1947, while the latter has served as its Musical Advisor since 1968. In 1977, Mehta was appointed Musical Director and in 1981, Musical Director for Life.

Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! will be premiered by Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on April 2nd and 6th at 8:30 P.M. at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, and on April 4th at 8:30 P.M. at the Haifa Auditorium in Haifa.