Tucson celebrates Israel’s 75th birthday with special concert

“A Celebration of Israel at 75,” coordinated by composer and University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music professor Daniel Asia, will celebrate Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut — Israel’s Day of Remembrance and Day of Independence. The concert of Asia’s Jewish compositions will feature violinist Steven Moeckel, Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams and pianist Daniel Linder, a UA colleague of Asia’s.

The event is sponsored by the UA Center for Judaic Studies, UA Hillel Foundation and the nonprofit Center for American Culture and Ideas. Representatives from Tucson’s Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities, as well as political and civic leaders, will offer brief comments on the meaning of Israel, Asia said. 

Asia said the concert will feature several of his works including his powerful and melancholic “Why (?) Jacob,” which he wrote in 1979 in memory of a childhood friend killed in the 1973 Israel Yom Kippur War.

Asia, who in addition to teaching at the UA also serves as president of the Center for American Culture and Ideas, has had his works performed by a number of orchestras including the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and The Phoenix Symphony.

Moeckel, who teaches violin at Northern Arizona University, was concertmaster of both of those orchestras. He also has recorded several albums and is a regular guest soloist with a number of American orchestras. 

Williams, who has been a regular guest artist at the UA for a dozen years or so, has a critically-acclaimed career as a soloist. For the past decade, his go-to accompanist was Paula Fan, whom he met at one of his early UA visits. Fan was touring with Williams in Australia in late February when she died of a heart attack at the age of 71. 

Linder, a New York native who teaches piano at the UA, has a vibrant career as a chamber musician and accompanist, including a duo piano recital in 2021 with his UA colleague Fanya Lin at the London Festival of American Music.

“A Celebration of Israel at 75” begins at 7 p.m. at Holsclaw Hall on the UA campus, southeast corner of North Park Avenue and East Speedway. Admission is free. For more information, visit judaic.arizona.edu.