The Jerusalem Music Centre is happy to announce that world-famous pianist Murray Perahia has accepted the role of President of the JMC.

The JMC is delighted to welcome Mr. Perahia, who is celebrated both as a great musician and educator of other musicians. His connection to the JMC began several years ago, in a series of master classes he taught at the Centre. These were attended by many of Israel’s best young pianists as well as hundreds of fascinated listeners. His next workshop at the JMC is scheduled for April 2009.

Mr. Perahia said: “Getting to know the Jerusalem Music Centre and its staff over the last few years, I have grown to admire their achievements and goals for the future. Israel means a great deal to me, and I very much hope to see music continuing to play a central role in the country’s future. I believe the JMC will play a critical part in achieving this, and look forward to helping them continue to develop into a centre of musical excellence for the region.”

Hed Sella, director of the JMC, said: “Over the past few decades, the Jerusalem Music Centre has been associated with many great musicians, most enduringly the late Isaac Stern, who led the Centre for many years, after founding it in 1973 with Teddy Kollek, Yad Hanadiv and the Jerusalem Foundation. Murray Perahia certainly follows in this tradition, and will help us reach a new level of excellence. For him to give us the vote of confidence and agree to serve as our President is a great honour.”

Since 1973, the Jerusalem Music Centre has played a central role in musical life in Israel. It has trained, nurtured and encouraged many of Israel’s finest young musicians. Graduates of the Centre make up, among others, the Jerusalem Quartet and Ariel Quartet. Today the Centre’s broad range of activities includes the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, a joint programme with the Edward Aldwell Center for piano performance and musicianship, a Jewish-Arabic ensemble for classical Arabic music, a programme for playing string instruments in elementary schools, the Jerusalem Early Music Workshop, and various concert series featuring outstanding young musicians as well as leading Israeli and international ensembles.