OF THE JERUSALEM ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DANCE
CONDUCTOR : DAFNA BEN YOHANAN

The Ankor Choir was founded in 1983 and comprises 50 children aged 11–18. The choir's repertoire includes works from the Renaissance to contemporary compositions, with a special emphasis on Israeli composers and classical pieces. The choir performs extensively in Israel and abroad, in concerts of its own and with leading orchestras. It is the resident choir for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with it under the baton of Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur, Giuseppe Sinopoli and others. It is also the resident choir for Yad Vashem. The choir's tours abroad included concerts in Japan, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Sweden and other European countries. Within these tours it collaborated with local orchestras as well as gave concerts of its own. Thus it performed an unforgettable concert series with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Claudio Abaddo, as well as lighting the first Hanukkah candle at Titus' Gate in Rome. The choir also has several recordings with orchestras (Mahler's third symphony with the Israel Philharmonic, Keshet by Oded Zehavi with the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Le-Zion, Resurrection by Noam Sheriff with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Oded Zehavi's War Requiem with the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, and Pergolesi's Stabat Mater with the Beer Sheva Sinfonietta) as well as 4 CDs of its own. The "Ankor" choir is a unique project in Israel. Through their wonderful music, the children have moved to tears and brought joy to thousands of people, while enabling them to share the wondrous experience of music making at its highest level. A junior choir works alongside the senior choir with 25 children of its own, conducted by Rachel Inbar.