Esther, Tamar, and Judith: The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra Opens the 2026-7 Concert Season

The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra opens the new concert season with "Esther, Tamar, and Judith," a program dedicated to three prominent female figures from Jewish heritage, whose stories have received musical interpretations throughout the generations. Conducted by David Shemer and featuring five soloists from Israel and abroad, the concert will bring together works from the Baroque period with a new piece written especially for the orchestra, "And Tamar Said to Judah" by composer Hana Ajiashvili, which will be performed as a world premiere.

At the center of the program are three women who acted in a reality of power struggles, danger, and fateful decisions. Esther, the queen who managed to save her people; Tamar, who chose to act to change her fate; and Judith, the heroine who saved her people through resourcefulness and courage. Their stories, written hundreds and thousands of years ago, continue to engage creators and composers today.

The concert will open with the overture to the oratorio "Esther" by George Frideric Handel, one of the most important composers of the Baroque period. Following this, excerpts will be performed from the oratorio "Esther" by composer Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti, which was commissioned by the Portuguese-Jewish community in Amsterdam and inspired by Handel's work. The piece reflects a fascinating encounter between European musical tradition and the cultural life of the Jewish community in Amsterdam.

Alongside the Baroque works, the new piece "And Tamar Said to Judah" by composer Hana Ajiashvili, commissioned by the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra to a text by Ittay Weitzman, will receive its world premiere. The work, dedicated to soprano Keren Motseri and the orchestra, gives voice to Tamar at the dramatic moment when she is being led to her death, after sending Judah the objects that prove he is the father of the child she carries, yet still not knowing if he will recognize them and save her life.

Ajiashvili says: "I was interested in imagining her inner world at this moment: the tension between fear and hope, between vulnerability and audacity, and between the intimate memory of the meeting with Judah and the real danger in which she finds herself."

The program will conclude with the oratorio "Judith" by French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, dealing with the story of the biblical heroine who became a symbol of courage and resourcefulness. Charpentier's work joins a long line of art and music works inspired by the figure of Judith.

The concert continues the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra's engagement with female voices and female figures in the history of music, including as part of the "Witches?" festival, dedicated to female creators, performers, and female figures who influenced culture throughout the generations.

The concert will be conducted by David Shemer, founder and musical director of the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra. Participating soloists: Keren Motseri (Netherlands), soprano; Noami Levy-Burla, soprano; Dorine Sesin, alto; Richard Resch (Germany), tenor; Dmitry Negrimovsky, bass.

Concert Program:

George Frideric Handel: Overture to the Oratorio "Esther"

Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti: Aria from the Oratorio "Esther"

Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti: "Kol HaNeshamah" (The Voice of the Soul)

Hana Ajiashvili: "And Tamar Said to Judah", World Premiere

Marc-Antoine Charpentier: "Judith", Oratorio

Concert Dates:

Saturday, 31.10.2026 | Haifa, Hecht Museum Auditorium

Sunday, 1.11.2026 | Jerusalem, YMCA International Auditorium

Monday, 2.11.2026 | Tel Aviv, Heichal HaTarbut, Zucker Hall

Tuesday, 3.11.2026 | Givat Brenner, Performance Hall

For details and ticket orders:

https://jbo.co.il/concerts/אסתר-תמר-ויהודית/