What does a son get for the father who has everything? Why, a musical tribute, of course. Erstwhile Hassidic musician Matisyahu posted a video to his You Tube account recently, showcasing his young son singing a cover of the Matisyahu classic, “Live Like a Warrior.” Fortunately we’re familiar enough with the song to know the lyrics, as the little boy, Shalom, isn’t altogether articulate. But the performance is cute and sweet nonetheless. And it looks like the YouTube community agrees. …More

Barbra Streisand landed in Israel Sunday evening, using her first hours in the Jewish state to meet with children facing life-threatening illnesses. Streisand joined Israeli President Shimon Peres to visit with children from Make A Wish, a foundation that helps sick children fulfill their wildest dreams. One young girl, Koral Vedder, 17, wanted to sing for Streisand, her idol. She got the chance Monday, performing a rendition of “People” for the Jewish icon. "That was so beautiful. That was such a …More

Every Friday, Jspace News partners with the America Israel Cultural Foundation to bring you an interview with one of the many Israeli artists they support throughout the world. With the release of his new album featuring his original music, composer and saxophonist Ilia Skibinsky has established himself as one of the leading young voices in the fields of jazz and contemporary music. He is described by peers and collegues alike as possessing an exceptional ability to navigate a wide array of styles while still …More

JNS.org Fifteen-thousand people, including Israelis, Americans and Russians, recently celebrated Israel’s 65 years in the San Francisco Bay Area with a showcase of Israeli innovation through the 13th annual Israel in the Garden. Organizers say the event was the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. At the June 2 event sponsored by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, San Francisco, “young Israeli entrepreneurs showcased their new technologies, drew hundreds of young adults for …More

Every Friday, Jspace News partners with the America Israel Cultural Foundation to bring you an interview with one of the many Israeli artists they support throughout the world. Avichai Ornoy began his career as a flutist at a young age, becoming one of the leading musicians on the Israeli classical scene, both as an orchestral player and as a soloist. He has held the position of Principal Flute in most of the Israeli leading orchestras and was the Assistant Principal Flute in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, …More

An Israeli clarinetist has achieved top honors in orchestral performance, after winning first prize at the renowned 38th Annual Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition. The competition is open to young musicians aged 13 to 30, and with $25,000 and a performance with the Houston Symphony awarded to the winner, 28-year old Moran Katz had a lot to gain when she first entered the contest amidst 137 fellow applicants. After being one of 10 musicians invited to perform in person at the semifinals, and then chosen among …More

If you're a fan of New York City indie rock-outfit Vampire Weekend then you must check out their new music video for "Diane Young,"' the lead single off their new record. Modern Vampires of the City has been very well received since its release last month and "Diane Young" is one of the album's best tracks. The video is classic Vampire Weekend, with the band at a dinner party that tips a hat stylistically to the Last Supper. All the Vampire Weekend boys are present for this very odd dinner party: Ezra, Rostam, …More

There aren't a lot of Jewish musicians making bluesy, dirty, sweaty, folky country rock. Actually, there may be none but ZZ Ward. Ward was playing in her father's blues band when most Jewish kids were studying for their bar mitzvahs, a 12-year-old going to dive bars and tearing it up. Now she's all grown up and still knows how to reach inside your soul with her powerful tunes and rip the emotion right out. She's currently on tour with her "road puppy" Muddy Waters and has built up an impressive …More

Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg won a prestigious piano competition on Sunday--the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels. Giltburg, 28, of Tel Aviv, was named the winner in the piano category for his “impeccable and unusually moving rendition of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3,” the Belgian-Jewish magazine Joods Actueel reported. The Moscow-born musician is the second Israeli to win the international competition, which began in 1951; Miriam Fried won in the violin category in …More

Every Friday, Jspace News partners with the America Israel Cultural Foundation to bring you an interview with one of the many Israeli artists they support throughout the world. With repertoire that ranges over five centuries, pianist and harpsichordist Dr. Tamar Halperin has performed as a soloist and with various chamber groups in Europe, the United States, Israel, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Australia. She appeared in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York, London’s Wigmore Hall, …More

HBO is known for its fantastic original series, documentaries and films, and Sunday's premiere of “Behind the Candelabra,” about ostentatious pianist Liberace and his lover Scott Thorson, continued that tradition. The film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, shed light on the relationship between the two while giving a glimpse into Liberace's intensely guarded private life. There were fantastic performances from the entire cast: Michael Douglas was unrecognizable as the flamboyant musician and Matt Damon …More

Yitzhak Perlman and Zubin Mehta kicked off a week of activities set to celebrate the completed renovation of Israel’s philharmonic hall. Perlman, a beloved US-Israeli violinist, and Mehta, the Israeli Philharmonic’s music director, joined together over the weekend for the special performance, supported by the renowned philharmonic. At the performance, attendees heard the strains of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto bouncing off the walls of the Jewish state’s most famous concert …More