If you have attended one or all of the concerts of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra during the last season, you sensed the excitement and musical satisfaction that the many other concertgoers must have felt. This all-volunteer orchestra, is unique, the only year-round orchestra in the United States affiliated with a synagogue.

Orchestra Schedule and Repertory

An Invitation from TICO Conductor David Amos

The Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra concert season runs from September to late July every year. We are called the only full-time, full symphony orchestra affiliated with a synagogue in the United States, and possibly the world.

What makes TICO so unique is that we are an all-volunteer orchestra, with all its musicians donating their time. There are several orchestras such as ours in the San Diego area, but they are associated with various schools and universities.

A community orchestra is not technically equivalent to a full time professional ensemble such as the San Diego Symphony, but many concertgoers find in the volunteer groups a raw energy, a love for symphonic music, and many times, more adventuresome repertory than you will normally hear with the professional counterparts. With TICO, we have the added advantage that the audience is seated close to the musicians, where there is a great sense of intimacy and communication with the live music that is taking place right in front of you.

In the past and in the upcoming seasons, TICO has invited and continues to invite some outstanding world-class musicians as guest soloists. Through our 34 years of existence, we have built a reputation of giving strong accompaniments to distinguished artists, and we are fortunate to have a waiting list of soloists who wish to perform with us in future seasons. TICO has also been in the forefront of commissioning and playing the works of living composers, which helps to maintain symphonic music as a living art form and not just a museum piece, exclusively glorifying only the music of past centuries.

I would like to invite you to be part of our 2007-2008 concert season at the Cohen Social Hall of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. I have chosen a theme for the entire season, titled "The Romantic Piano Concerto." In every concert, there will be a guest pianist, playing a famous and beloved piano concerto; many of these masterpieces have delighted concert audiences for nearly two centuries.

There will be music by Brahms, Schumann, Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Samuel Barber, Harvey Cohen, Ravel, De Falla, and others.

Please pencil in the following dates in your calendar:

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 27th, 2008, 3:00 p.m., Our popular Pops Concert.

It is a real challenge to program the musical selections of a community orchestra. While the professional groups are much more dependent for their survival on ticket sales, their choice of music can be very "safe" and repetitious. But community orchestras also have to take in consideration the tastes and the desires of the musicians, who, after all, are volunteers, and will only play music which they consider challenging and worthy of their precious time. There is a fine balance here: repertory that the audiences enjoy hearing, and that musicians love to play.

And, oh yes, the conductor must also enjoy the music.

For more information, season tickets, single tickets, or the mailing of our brochure, call the synagogue office at (619) 697 6001 or email Natalie at receptionist@tiferethisrael.com.

All concerts will be performed at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92119. Cohen Social Hall is handicapped accessible.

The Story of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra

In 1974, conductor David Amos was advised by members of the Jewish Community that a volunteer orchestra based at the 54th Street Jewish Community Center would be a valuable asset to service some of the musical needs of its members and the community at large.

This was the birth of the orchestra. It started as a small group of string players, getting together every Tuesday night, exploring the literature and hopefully, scheduling a concert sometime in the future. After a few weeks, the ensemble felt sufficiently prepared to present a live performance. It took place at the Newman Center, the Catholic student organization at San Diego State University. The soloist was Robert Forman, Professor of Oboe at SDSU. This was the beginning of a long, ecumenical, interfaith relationship with the community at large and what was then the fledgling Jewish Community Center (JCC) Chamber Orchestra.

From day one, the orchestra has been open to people of all faiths. The programming reflected this same universality.

By 1977, the orchestra added a modest complement of wind players in order to properly interpret a larger spectrum of the chamber music repertoire. By the end of that season, the wind and percussion sections were completed and larger symphonic works could be performed.

During its formative years, the orchestra operated with practically no budget. There were no administrators. The conductor and musicians were all volunteers. In those times, sheet music was borrowed from libraries and other orchestras. The JCC gave its facilities and a modest budget for publicity, printing of programs, and tickets. Performances took place in various venues throughout San Diego Country, wherever a host organization issued an invitation.

As time progressed, more prominent soloists requested to play with the JCC Orchestra. More musicians of greater quality volunteered to be members of the ensemble. The orchestra's reputation was starting to spread.

A major turnaround took place in early 1978, when the principal horn of the Israel Philharmonic called David Amos, introduced himself and requested to solo with the orchestra. Meir Rimon came to San Diego in September of that year, played a concert in which he was the featured soloist, and that was the beginning of a fruitful and enthusiastic relationship between Rimon and the JCC Orchestra.

In 1980, Mr. Rimon invited David Amos to conduct the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in Tel-Aviv, in the first of a series of five, long play records and compact discs where the two musicians joined forces with the IPO. This was also the beginning of a prolific recording career for Amos who, to this date, has conducted 218 critically acclaimed compact discs of world premiere orchestral literature with some of the world's best orchestras. These recordings are heard on radio worldwide. More new projects are now in preparation.

Meanwhile, the JCC Orchestra continued to grow in size, complexity, quality and reputation. The list of guest soloists who have performed with Amos and the JCC Orchestra is truly impressive. During the middle 1980's, the name was changed to the JCC Symphony Orchestra.

Los Angeles Times (San Diego edition) music critic Kenneth Herman wrote in a concert review of the late 1970's "The JCC Orchestra plays with a tight ensemble that could make professional orchestras jealous."

Through David Amos's contacts with living composers, many lesser known orchestral works were performed. This is the type of music that is out of the reach of other community orchestras or of lesser interest to professional orchestras. Many professional orchestras feel that they need to satisfy audience appeal though repetition of the same classics over and over. And they have a never ending struggle with budgets, boards and escalating costs.

In the early 1990's the JCC Symphony contracted the New York composer Arnold Rosner and commissioned him to write three original works. Hew as the orchestra's Composer in Residence. The creation of these commissions resulted in spreading further the orchestra's reputation as an ensemble with unusual, but accessible, programming, which provided a different dimension of service to music in the San Diego community. This labor of love and enthusiasm for innovation and commitment to the fringes of the literature continue to this day.

In the middle 1990's with the changing demographics in the Jewish Community, the College Avenue JCC was forced to close due to declining memberships. The orchestra did not find itself without a home for too long. Without a single rehearsal or concert missed in the transition, the JCC Symphony Orchestra was warmly embraced by the Tifereth Israel Synagogue of San Diego where it has flourished and developed, thanks to the strong support of the Synagogue's board and membership.

We believe that the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra, (TICO) is the only community orchestra in the United States with a fully functioning eleven month season that is affiliated with a synagogue. It may be the only orchestra of its kind in the world. Of course, the orchestra's membership continues to be open to people of all faiths and all of its concerts are widely advertised and open to the general public.

Innovation continues. Every season contains traditional orchestral classic literature which is loved by audiences and musicians alike. But there are always new works and interesting rare oddities that when properly exposed, may become staples of the repertoire in the future.

TICO invites world renowned musicians as soloists like Pepe Romero who will make his second appearance with TICO during the 2002-03 season. In recent years, the orchestra has hosted an award winning piano trio from Denmark, principal player of the Israel Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Israel Chamber Orchestra, and recording artists from Europe, New York and the West Coast.

TICO has also encouraged young musicians whose first orchestral experience was playing with, soloing, and/or conducing rehearsals or concerts. TICO has cooperated with the Optimist Club of Coronado for over twenty years in benefit concerts to raise money for scholarships. Audiences for each concert range from 350 to 800 people. Most concerts are near full sellouts. The annual Summer Pops concert at the end of each season has become a standing-room-only event.

TICO has been a workshop and a springboard for disabled people with musical abilities. During the summer of 2002, in cooperation with the prestigious San Diego Master Chorale, TICO performed its fourth annual benefit concert for the Saint Madeleine Sophie's Center, a Catholic organization, devoted to the education of mentally challenged adults. These concerts have received extensive media coverage in San Diego and in national magazines.

In concerts away from its home base, TICO regularly performs in various auditoriums and community churches including the Methodist, Unitarian and Presbyterian houses of worship.

For its 2003-04 season, David Amos has planned an entire season around the creative works of award-winning Hollywood film and television composers. Along with the traditional orchestral favorites, there will be three commissioned world premieres, and other classic film scores performed at each of the regular subscription concerts including music composed by the following award winning composers: Leonard Rosenmann, Harvey Cohen, Tim Simonec, Lawrence Rosenthal and Miklos Rozsa.

Other interesting highlights in TICO's history include:

The 2000-2001 season highlighted a new commissioned work at every concert, in honor of the new millennium. It included fanfares, overtures and other compositions.
In 1978, the JCC Orchestra undertook a tour of three Mexican cities, with concerts and workshops at every location. It was recorded for television, and broadcasted twice.
The orchestra has invited a variety of guest conductors from the U.S., Israel, Norway and Mexico.
The orchestra presented a concert in benefit of the San Diego Symphony, during a week of fund raising and a radiothon. It featured as soloists principal players from the San Diego Symphony, as well as its conductor as a piano soloist.
The orchestra has frequently combined forces with local church choirs in performances presented at the synagogue and in churches.
TICO has held joint rehearsals with the Sweetwater High School District Orchestra in order to encourage young orchestral players to continue with their musical aspirations.
The orchestra commissioned the renowned American composer Paul Creston who wrote a Suite for Strings in 1978. This work was later recorded commercially by David Amos and the Israel Philharmonic.
During its Summer Pops Concert, TICO honors every year a member of its committee or a player from the orchestra, with the "Golden Baton." The honoree guest conducts a musical selection during the concert.
TICO has featured as guest narrators prominent members of the community, i.e. local radio-TV personalities and even a famous baseball umpire.
The Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra has approximately 65 members. Orchestra rehearsals are held every Tuesday evening. The full slate of regular rehearsals, extra rehearsals and concerts are published before the beginning of each season. Additional players are asked to join depending upon the instrumentation needed in the musical score. An operating advisory board of directors, comprised of musicians, Tifereth Israel Synagogue board members and other interested community volunteers, meets once a month.

Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra

An Invitation from TICO Conductor David Amos

A community orchestra is not technically equivalent to a full-time professional ensemble such as the San Diego Symphony, but many concertgoers find in the volunteer groups a raw energy, a love for symphonic music, and many times, more adventuresome repertory than you will normally hear with the professional counterparts. With TICO, we have the added advantage that the audience is seated close to the musicians, where there is a great sense of intimacy and communication with the live music that is taking place right in front of you.

I would like to invite you to be part of our 2007-2008 concert season at the Cohen Social Hall of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. I have chosen a theme for the entire season, titled "The Romantic Piano Concerto." In every concert, there will be a guest pianist playing a famous and beloved piano concerto; many of these masterpieces have delighted concert audiences for nearly two centuries.

There will be music by Brahms, Schumann, Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Samuel Barber, Harvey Cohen, Ravel, De Falla, and others.

Please pencil in the following dates in your calendar:

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007, 7:30 p.m.,
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008, 7:30 p.m.,
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008, 7:30 p.m.,
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008, 7:30 p.m., and
Sunday, July 27th, 2008, 3:00 p.m., our popular Pops Concert.

It is a real challenge to program the musical selections of a community orchestra. While the professional groups are much more dependent for their survival on ticket sales, their choice of music can be very "safe" and repetitious. But community orchestras also have to take into consideration the tastes and the desires of the musicians, who, after all, are volunteers, and will only play music that they consider challenging and worthy of their precious time. There is a fine balance here: repertory that the audiences enjoy hearing, and that musicians love to play. And, oh yes, the conductor must also enjoy the music.

For more information, season tickets, single tickets, or the mailing of our brochure, call the synagogue office at (619) 697 6001 or email Natalie at receptionist@tiferethisrael.com.

All concerts will be performed at
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92119
Cohen Social Hall is handicapped accessible

History of the Orchestra:
The Story of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra

From day one, the orchestra has been open to people of all faiths. The programming reflected this same universality.

In 1980, Mr. Rimon invited David Amos to conduct the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in Tel-Aviv, in the first of a series of five, long play records and compact discs where the two musicians joined forces with the IPO. This was also the beginning of a prolific recording career for Amos who, to this date, has conducted 218 critically acclaimed compact discs of world premiere orchestral literature with some of the world’s best orchestras. These recordings are heard on radio worldwide. More new projects are now in preparation.

Meanwhile, the JCC Orchestra continued to grow in size, complexity, quality and reputation. The list of guest soloists who have performed with Amos and the JCC Orchestra is truly impressive. During the middle 1980’s, the name was changed to the JCC Symphony Orchestra.

Los Angeles Times (San Diego edition) music critic Kenneth Herman wrote in a concert review of the late 1970’s “The JCC Orchestra plays with a tight ensemble that could make professional orchestras jealous.”

Through David Amos’s contacts with living composers, many lesser known orchestral works were performed. This is the type of music that is out of the reach of other community orchestras or of lesser interest to professional orchestras. Many professional orchestras feel that they need to satisfy audience appeal though repetition of the same classics over and over. And they have a never ending struggle with budgets, boards and escalating costs.

In the early 1990’s the JCC Symphony contracted the New York composer Arnold Rosner and commissioned him to write three original works. Hew as the orchestra’s Composer in Residence. The creation of these commissions resulted in spreading further the orchestra’s reputation as an ensemble with unusual, but accessible, programming, which provided a different dimension of service to music in the San Diego community. This labor of love and enthusiasm for innovation and commitment to the fringes of the literature continue to this day.

In the middle 1990’s with the changing demographics in the Jewish Community, the College Avenue JCC was forced to close due to declining memberships. The orchestra did not find itself without a home for too long. Without a single rehearsal or concert missed in the transition, the JCC Symphony Orchestra was warmly embraced by the Tifereth Israel Synagogue of San Diego where it has flourished and developed, thanks to the strong support of the Synagogue’s board and membership.

We believe that the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra, (TICO) is the only community orchestra in the United States with a fully functioning eleven month season that is affiliated with a synagogue. It may be the only orchestra of its kind in the world. Of course, the orchestra’s membership continues to be open to people of all faiths and all of its concerts are widely advertised and open to the general public.

TICO has been a workshop and a springboard for disabled people with musical abilities. During the summer of 2002, in cooperation with the prestigious San Diego Master Chorale, TICO performed its fourth annual benefit concert for the Saint Madeleine Sophie’s Center, a Catholic organization, devoted to the education of mentally challenged adults. These concerts have received extensive media coverage in San Diego and in national magazines.

In concerts away from its home base, TICO regularly performs in various auditoriums and community churches including the Methodist, Unitarian and Presbyterian houses of worship.
For its 2003-04 season, David Amos has planned an entire season around the creative works of award-winning Hollywood film and television composers. Along with the traditional orchestral favorites, there will be three commissioned world premieres, and other classic film scores performed at each of the regular subscription concerts including music composed by the following award winning composers: Leonard Rosenmann, Harvey Cohen, Tim Simonec, Lawrence Rosenthal and Miklos Rozsa.

Other interesting highlights in TICO’s history include:

The 2000-2001 season highlighted a new commissioned work at every concert, in honor of the new millennium. It included fanfares, overtures and other compositions.
In 1978, the JCC Orchestra undertook a tour of three Mexican cities, with concerts and workshops at every location. It was recorded for television, and broadcasted twice.
The orchestra has invited a variety of guest conductors from the U.S., Israel, Norway and Mexico.
The orchestra presented a concert in benefit of the San Diego Symphony, during a week of fund raising and a radiothon. It featured as soloists principal players from the San Diego Symphony, as well as its conductor as a piano soloist.
The orchestra has frequently combined forces with local church choirs in performances presented at the synagogue and in churches.
TICO has held joint rehearsals with the Sweetwater High School District Orchestra in order to encourage young orchestral players to continue with their musical aspirations.
The orchestra commissioned the renowned American composer Paul Creston who wrote a Suite for Strings in 1978. This work was later recorded commercially by David Amos and the Israel Philharmonic.
During its Summer Pops Concert, TICO honors every year a member of its committee or a player from the orchestra, with the “Golden Baton.” The honoree guest conducts a musical selection during the concert.
TICO has featured as guest narrators prominent members of the community, i.e. local radio-TV personalities and even a famous baseball umpire.

The Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra has approximately 65 members. Orchestra rehearsals are held every Tuesday evening. The full slate of regular rehearsals, extra rehearsals and concerts are published before the beginning of each season. Additional players are asked to join depending upon the instrumentation needed in the musical score. An operating advisory board of directors, comprised of musicians, Tifereth Israel Synagogue board members and other interested community volunteers, meets once a month.