Israeli conductor Lior Shambadel held a concert in Ecuador in December. The concert was an opportunity to celebrate the shared holiday spirit during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah and ahead of Christmas.
Supported by the Embassy of Israel in Ecuador, the event was held in the Casa de la Musica (House of Music) in the country’s capital Quito. The complex was built thanks to a donation by the Neustatter family, a Jewish family who fled Nazi Germany and found shelter in Ecuador before the Second World War.
Shambadel performed together with the Quito Philarmonic Orchestra and offered a very diverse program. The musicians played Hannukkah and Christmas songs, contemporary Israeli music such as pieces by composer Menachem Wiesenberg and classical works by Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn.
Some 450 guests attended the evening, including government officials, diplomats and members of the local Jewish community and of the clergy.
During the event, Israeli Ambassador to Ecuador Zeev Harel welcomed the guests and spoke about the deep meaning of Hanukkah and its values, while Rabbi Nir Koren lit the Hanukkah menorah.