Renaissance woman

Premiere of symphonic piece by pianist/composer/creative consultant.

By MAXIM REIDER
orit wolf 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
orit wolf 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Nature has lavishly endowed Orit Wolf, 32. This stunningly beautiful virtuoso pianist, with a number of discs under her belt, is also a composer, a classical music educator, a poet - and a management consultant for many local companies. Whatever she knows, Wolf shares generously with the world. Her new 10-minute piece, Light, White and Purple, will be premiered by the Rishon Lezion Symphony Orchestra this week. It is the first time that Wolf, who has been composing from the age of 12, has written for a symphony orchestra, but she now finds that a piano alone is unable to transform her varied experience into sound.
Click for upcoming events calendar! The piece is based on one of her own poems, in which Wolf contemplates the similarities between life and music. Hence the piece is, in her own words, "a 'fantasia' or contemplation about the dark and light colors that paint the picture of our life. The music is tonal, and one can easily notice French chords blending with Jewish motifs for a unique sound. The emphasis on the individual is expressed by the solo parts of the piano, harp, clarinet and violin." Wolf, who wasn't born into a family of musicians, realizes that love and understanding of classical music cannot be taken for granted. She runs several concert series throughout the country, trying to find a way into the hearts and minds of contemporary listeners. "I opt for a multidisciplinary experience, bringing actors and other artists to my concerts to show the music in the context of its historical period. And I also question the way we listen to music - 200 years ago people talked, danced and spoke during performances. I think it's OK when people clap between movements, because this is how they express their feelings, and the concert turns into an interactive experience." Wolf has also discovered a connection between music and business. "It all started from improvisation," she recollects. "I could have trained for hours, but when I had a blackout on stage, I had no choice but to improvise. As a result, I started to analyze the very idea of decision making, and have concluded that the mechanism is similar for both musicians and business managers. How you choose this or that way out, how you feel guilty about not choosing the other way, how you control the situation, how you face your audience, etc." The article she wrote as a result - "From piano bench to manager's bench" - stirred a response that set her on a path of lectures, consultations and workshops with major companies such as Elite, Strauss and Fedex. "A mistake shouldn't be interpreted as an error, but as an opportunity," says Wolf. December 6, 8 and 9, Rishon LeZion Heichal HaTarbut. The program also features Rachmaninof's Piano Concerto #3 and Brahm's Symphony #1.