The Israeli Opera inaugurated, on Sunday March 27, 2011, a commemoration corner to Gary Bertini (1927-2005), one of the most important Israeli musicians and conductors, who was the music director of the Israeli opera between the years 1988-1997. Situated at the entrance level of the opera house foyer and close the Founders Corner of the Israeli Opera, the commemoration corner features numerous items from Bertini's musical life including his baton, scores, photos, program books from productions he conducted at the Israeli Opera and in international opera houses such as La Scala or Paris, CDs in which he conducts leading international orchestras. All these items tell the story of the musical life of Bertini, who also conducted many Israeli Opera productions including the world premiere of Yosef (Yosef Tal) and Alpha and Omega (Gil Shohat).  
In the inauguration ceremony, which marked the sixth anniversary of Bertini's death, Hanna Munitz, general director of the Israeli Opera, said: "Gary was a unique musician, a composer and a conductor, maybe the best Israeli conductor ever and one of the greatest in the world. He has left behind him a huge void and a great testimony: to make classical music in general and classical music institutions in particular, the leading cornerstones of Israeli culture. Gary was a real leader, a prophet and an educator, who has nurtured generations of musicians, conductors, singers, choirs and orchestras and of course one of the founders of our opera."   
From now on, each person coming to the opera house will be able to see a corner stone dedicated to a musician and a man for whom the Israeli Opera was very dear and who has done all that he could to develop the classical music work in general and operatic work in particular in the State of Israel and bring it to the highest level.