No whining and women: This Witches? Festival returns with a salute to female musicianship

The fifth edition of Jerusalem's Witches? Festival, initiated by the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, celebrates female composers and performers who shaped music. Cellist-conductor Orit Messer-Yaakobi emphasizes a positive, proactive approach this year, focusing on women whose presence changed music rather than those whose voices were suppressed. The two-day event at the YMCA and Hansen House (October 16-17) features baroque scores alongside contemporary works, with concerts exploring themes like love, motherhood, and war through female perspectives.

The fifth edition of Jerusalem's Witches? Festival returns with a focus on celebrating female musicianship. The event, initiated by Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra (JBO) founder-conductor David Shemer, takes place at the YMCA and Hansen House on October 16-17. Cellist-conductor Orit Messer-Yaakobi, a JBO principal cellist, explains that this year's theme, Echo, takes a positive approach: instead of focusing on women whose voices were suppressed, the festival highlights women whose presence and deeds changed music. The programming includes baroque scores performed by the JBO alongside more contemporary works. Highlights include a concert on Barbara Strozzi, a 17th-century Venetian female composer who had her scores printed and ran a music salon, and a program titled "A Woman's Song" addressing love, motherhood, and war. Messer-Yaakobi states the festival aims to give women their place without political crutches, focusing on the music itself.