The international Mu/Zi chamber music festival will take place in Haifa from November 26 to 30, bringing together prominent musicians from Israel and abroad for five days of concerts, performances and musical collaborations at the Dan Carmel and Dan Panorama hotels.
The festival, which will be hosted by Dan Hotels in Haifa for the first time, is under the artistic direction of violinist Guy Braunstein, former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, and cellist Zvi Plesser, one of Israel's leading internationally acclaimed classical musicians.
Concerts will take place at the King David Hall in the Dan Carmel Hotel and the Alon Hall in the Dan Panorama Haifa, with a program spanning morning performances, afternoon recitals and late-night concerts.
The lineup includes musicians who have performed with some of the world's leading orchestras, among them oboist Andrey Godik, principal oboist of the Munich Philharmonic; bassoonist Mor Biron, a member of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2007 to 2021; and clarinetist Rafael Schenkel, who has performed with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Other participating artists include violinists Michael Guttman and Krunoslav Marić, flutist Gili Schwarzman, pianist Victor Stanislavsky, cellist Michal Korman and oud player Taiseer Elias, whose performances will bring elements of Middle Eastern musical traditions into the festival's classical repertoire.
Zvi Plesser
Guy Braunstein
(Photo: Boaz Arad)
Classical masterworks meet musical humor
Among the festival's featured performers is pianist, composer and entertainer Hyung-ki Joo, known internationally as one half of the comedy-classical duo Igudesman & Joo.
Joo has also collaborated with American musician Billy Joel, who selected him to arrange and perform his classical piano compositions for the album Fantasies & Delusions, which topped the classical music charts.
At Mu/Zi, Joo will perform several evening programs, including Ravel's La Valse and his own composition Lullaby for Leo on November 26. The following evening, he will join Braunstein for a performance titled Strauss, Mahler and Chaplin Walk Into a Bar, combining classical virtuosity, familiar melodies and musical comedy.
Braunstein will also appear in several chamber music performances, beginning with Dvořák's Piano Quintet on November 26.
The festival's repertoire includes major works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Dvořák, alongside compositions by Ravel, Debussy, Barber and Poulenc.
Highlights include Beethoven's first Razumovsky String Quartet, Brahms' First Piano Quartet and Schubert's Octet in F major, D. 803, which will be performed at the festival's closing concert on November 30 at 11 a.m.
The program will also explore music beyond the traditional chamber repertoire. On November 28, a suite from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, arranged by Biron, will bring elements of jazz and American musical theater into the concert hall.
Biron will also take center stage on November 29 in a concert devoted to the bassoon, featuring works by Camille Saint-Saëns and Alexandre Tansman.
Clarinetist Schenkel is scheduled to perform Beethoven's Clarinet Trio, Op. 11, as well as works by Ernő Dohnányi and Francis Poulenc.
Another highlight will be a late-night tribute to Israeli singer-songwriter Mati Caspi on November 29. The program will feature Mati, a composition credited in the festival program to Caspi and Braunstein, alongside selections from Caspi's musical catalog.
The late-night concerts will offer a less formal setting, combining musical performances with wine, beer and opportunities for audiences to experience the artists in a more intimate atmosphere.
Dan Carmel Hotel exterior at night
(Photo: Ori Ackerman)
A platform for young musicians and a tribute to a fallen composer
Beyond performances by established artists, the festival will also feature a Young Stage initiative, offering emerging musicians opportunities to perform and interact with experienced international performers.
One of the festival's most personal events will be a concert honoring Uri Bar-Or, a young Israeli composer who was killed in combat at the age of 21.
The concert, titled Uri's Seasons, is scheduled for November 27 at 4 p.m. and will feature performances of Bar-Or's compositions, alongside a conversation with his family.
The event is intended to preserve his musical legacy through performances of the works he left behind.
Hotel packages combine accommodations and concerts
Dan Hotels is offering special accommodation packages for festival visitors at its two Haifa properties, combining three- or four-night stays with half-board meals and admission to four festival concerts.
At the Dan Carmel, a four-night package for two people from November 26 to 30 starts at NIS 6,300 for members of the hotel chain's e-Dan loyalty program. A three-night package from November 26 to 29 starts at NIS 4,996.
At the Dan Panorama Haifa, four-night packages start at NIS 5,400 per couple, while three-night packages start at NIS 4,245, also for e-Dan members.
The festival aims to combine an intensive program of chamber music with the atmosphere of Haifa's Carmel neighborhood, offering visitors opportunities to attend several performances each day while staying close to the musicians and concert venues.
From classical masterpieces and experimental collaborations to tributes honoring Israeli composers, the five-day program is designed to bring audiences and performers together beyond the conventions of a traditional concert hall.