Chamber opera "The Creation of the World or Kabbalat Shabbat" in Berlin 29 October 2024

Germany's first chamber opera in Hebrew tells the story of the creation of the world and uses artistic means to transform it into an experience that transcends all religious boundaries.

Description:
Seven Days, Seven Musicians and Six Instruments - The Creation of the World or Kabbalat Shabbat is a journey through the process of the creation of the world.
The creation of the world and the encounter of the day of rest, Shabbat, is told through the means of contemporary musical theater in Alexander Manotskov's composition. We watch as day after day melodies, rhythms and sounds are born - until onShabbat, the day of rest, all instruments fall silent and only voices are heard.
"Creation of the World or Kabbalat Shabbat," is an attempt at unification that encourages reflection and gathering in an age of division and destruction. It is an open invitation to come together.
The Shabbat holiday, as a worldwide ritual and living memory, serves as the basis for a contemporary musical theater style production that places some of the audience at large banquet tables, right in the center of the action.
Instruments from European, Middle Eastern and Indian traditionsare played. Accompanied by unusual costumes and scenography by Venus Kazarova, with performances and video installations, "Creation of the World or Kabbalat Shabbat" becomes a special event.

The team:

• ALEXANDER MANOTSKOV, COMPOSER. Alexander Manotskov is the author of chamber and symphonic works, as well as more than 20 operas that have been performed in the United States, Norway, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. He has received several musical and theatrical awards. His scores are published in Europe by Donemus Publishing in the Netherlands, and recordings of his works are available on the Fancymusic label in Russia and LAWO Classics in Norway.
• EMILIA KIVELEVICH, DIRECTOR. Emilia Kivelevich is a theater director with a Master's degree in Cultural Studies. She has 10 years of experience as a cultural critic and director. Her work spans Russia, Israel and Germany. Emilia Kivelevich is known for her approach to working at the intersection of research and art. In her works she integrates documentary material to convey authentic narratives based on real events.
• VENERA KAZAROVA, ARTIST. Venera is a renowned costume designer who has created costumes for numerous events and projects. These include designing costumes for the launch of the new Cartier collection and for Les jardins d'Etretat in Normandy. In addition to personal projects and exhibitions, she has also designed costumes for surrealist gala dinners and Moscow Fashion Week. Venera has worked as an artist for the television program Grand Opera and designed costumes for the Golden Mask in the City project. She shares her work daily on her Instagram page, where she has over 70,000 followers from all over the world.
• LARA TREICHEL, CHOREOGRAPHER. Lara Treichel (Larissa Alexandrova) is a renowned choreographer and musical theater director. She is known for her cross-genre productions in drama, music and dance theater, which have been presented at international festivals and competitions and won major awards, including the Golden Mask. Currently lives in Berlin and continues his artistic career.
• OLEG MIKHAILOV, VIDEO, LIGHT. Oleg Mikhailov is a video artist working at the intersection of media technologies and video art. Since the late 1990s he has been creating video and interactive installations, experimental animations and video art, which have been presented at exhibitions and theaters. He explores visual content creation techniques and uses video technology in theater and music productions.
• JIM GALACTI, FLUGELHORN. Jim Galacti is a renowned trumpeter who has been successfully performing for over 20 years on the music scene in Germany and Europe. He is best known for his participation in the electro-swing band TAPE FIVE, with which he performs all over the world. Twice awarded a scholarship from the Goethe-Institut, he has been accompanying Iranian pop star Shadmehr Aghili since 2012. In 2015 he released his solo album "Drop The Guns and Fly". He has performed over 50 concerts at major venues including the Oberhausen Arena, the World Trade Center in Dubai and Expo 2016 in Antalya.
• ANUSHAANT NAYINAY VIJAYAN, MRIDANGAM. Anushaant Nayinay Vijayan is a renowned mridangam artist, musician and composer from Germany. He is the founder of Tamil Cultural and Welfare Association Essen e.V. In 2017, he co-founded the Tamil Cultural and Fine Arts Academy and founded the Konnakol Germany network. He has contributed significantly to the promotion of Tamil music and culture in Germany.
• ANTON CIRIN, HARMONIUM. Anton Tsirin is a talented actor, musician and social activist. After graduating from film school in Cologne, he has participated in more than ten different productions and film projects in Germany and Israel. In addition to stage and screen, Anton is actively involved in social and educational work. He founded the Kibbutz Center for Culture, Art and Education. In 2021, the center was nominated as the Best Social Democratic Project of the Year in Germany.
• BENJAMIN STEIN, SANTUR. Since 2015, Benjamin Stein has specialized in the study of the oud, a traditional stringed instrument. His main focus is on the study of Turkish and Arabic music. He completed his studies at the prestigious universities of Mannheim and Rotterdam, where his teachers were outstanding masters such as Yurdal Tokcan, Samir Mansour and Alexandros Papadimitrakis. He plays in many theaters in Germany.
• IVANO ONAVI, BANSURI Ivano Onavi is a versatile musician and music teacher. After studying classical guitar at the Folkwang University of the Arts, he has devoted himself mainly to world music. He collaborates with musicians from all over the world in Spain, Russia, India and Germany. His deep passion for folklore is reflected in his own compositions.

Partners

• Kibbutz e.V.- Center for Art, Culture and Education.
• Nevatim - Jewish Agency for Israel. NEVATIM is a program of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which promotes informal Jewish education initiatives in Germany and supports active young people who want to make Jewish life in Germany more social, interesting and attractive through their ideas and projects.