Lahav Shani and the Israel Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

Lahav Shani conducts the Israel Philharmonic

The Israel Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall

By Edward Sava-Segal, 18 October 2025

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Carnegie Hall: Stern Auditorium, New York City on 16 October 2025

Bernstein, Halil

Ben-Haim, Symphony no. 1

Tchaikovsky, Symphony no. 5 in E minor, Op.64

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Lahav Shani, Conductor

Israel Philharmonic makes long awaited Elbphilharmonie debut

Mengguang Huang, 3rd November

The Israel Philharmonic’s debut at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie showcases Lahav Shani’s elegant precision, Martin Fröst’s vivid virtuosity and Paul Ben-Haim’s rare symphonic voice, culminating in radiant musical unity.

****1

Lahav Shani leads the Israel Philharmonic back to Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 14th November

After a three-years hiatus, the orchestra returns to New York, with violinist Gil Shaham playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto before an assured Prokofiev Fifth Symphony.

****1

Russian fire and French nightmare in Jūrmala

Roy Westbrook, 25th August

One of the great performances of a concerto which gets so many performances.

****1

Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic in Jūrmala

Roy Westbrook, 24th August

Jan Lisiecki's leap-in with the Israel Philharmonic offers extra spontaneity in Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto.

*****

A cursory Mahler 3 from Zubin Mehta and the IPO

Vishnu Bachani, 8th November

In a work as complex and multifaceted as Mahler’s Third, plumbing the depths of the music is not a trivial task. Mehta and his orchestra shone in moments but not uniformly across the symphony.

**111

Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 7th November

Tonal finesse, graceful articulation and magical simplicity mattered more than anything else in Yefim Bronfman's version of Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto.

****1

More reviews...

Edward Sava-Segal

Edward has been living in New York for the last 25 years, one of the reasons being the extraordinarily rich cultural life in this city. He has studied piano and classical music in his early years. He switched later on to computer science and data architecture but he kept an unwavering interest in following the classical music phenomenon here in New York and in his travels. Edward occasionally reviews fine arts events for the most prestigious literary magazine in Romania, his home country.

Threads of memory glowing in amber: Lahav Shani and the Israel Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall