The Israel Sinfonietta Beer-Sheva Orchestra announces that the current Music Director, Maestro Rani Calderon, will conclude his tenure at the end of the upcoming season (August 2025). He will be succeeded by Four-time GRAMMY® Award Nominated conductor Maestro Constantine Orbelian- one of the most prominent conductors and pianists on the international stage, with a longstanding love for Israel and a deep personal connection to artists and audiences in the country.
Maestro Orbelian, who currently serves as the General and Artistic Director of the New York City Opera, continues to serve as the Principal Conductor of the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra in Lithuania. Maestro Orbelian has collaborated with top world class artists including superstars Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Elina Garanca, Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufman, Sondra Radvanovsky, Isabel Leonard, Stephen Costello, Lawrence Brownlee and Sarah Coburn, Barbara Frittoli and Joseph Calleja, pianists Daniil Trifonov, Anne Marie McDermott, and even the beloved iconic pianist Van Cliburn in his final performance. Orbelian has performed on the world’s finest stages, most recently at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall celebrating the music of Weinberg, Korngold and Rovner with the brilliant cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper. For many years, he has sought to work within a musical institution in Israel and to be close to the audience and to bring his many colleagues to Israel. Orbelian’s recording legacy is historic with over 80 CDs on the DELOS label. Previously Orbelian was the Music Director of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the General Director and Music Director of the Yerevan State Opera and Ballet Theater in Armenia.
Maestro Rani Calderon requested to conclude his position after three productive years, during which he led the Sinfonietta to new musical heights, artistic diversity, and openness to new audiences. During his tenure, he shaped an innovative musical direction, enriched the orchestra’s repertoire with original Israeli works, and expanded its cultural and educational activities. Upon the conclusion of his tenure, the orchestra embarked on a process to select a new Music Director. We are confident that Maestro Orbelian will bring his unique musical vision to the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva and that this will be a new page in the orchestra’s illustrious history.
Orbelian’s first season will include concerts with internationally recognised instrumentalsts, opera galas, a groundbreaking children’s series, and rich classical programs featuring beloved works by the finest composers. Together with resident conductor David Solomon, a diverse artistic program has been created for the next season featuring the Israeli Series, American, French, Russian, Armenian, German and South American composers and performers. The comprehensive program will be announced to our patrons in a new brochure to be launched next month. The audience can look forward to an exceptional season featuring leading performers from around the world.
Dr. Meir Englert, Chairman of the Board of the Israel Sinfonietta Beer-Sheva: “The Sinfonietta is proud to be a home to excellent artists and world-renowned musical leaders. We thank Maestro Rani Calderon for his artistic contribution and for the way he has lead the Orchestra. We are excited to open a new chapter with Maestro Orbelian, and to experience together a season full of inspiration, innovation, and deep connection to the local and international community.”
Yair Nagid, CEO of the Israel Sinfonietta Beer-Sheva: “I wish to thank Rani Calderon for his impressive and excellent contribution over the past three years, and I wish him great success in his future endeavors. We are confident that Maestro Constantine Orbelian will lead the Sinfonietta to new heights—while maintaining the unique spirit of the orchestra combined with a very rich artistic program that appeals to all audiences and styles.”