007 takes on chamber music in Eilat

British actor Sir Roger Moore, better known as James Bond, is one of this year's special guests at the Fourth Eilat Chamber Music Festival.

By HELEN KAYE
British actor Sir Roger Moore, better known as 007 or James Bond, and Georgian composer Giya Kancheli are this year's special guests at the Fourth Eilat Chamber Music Festival, which will run from February 23-28 in the concert hall of the Herod's Forum hotel. Kancheli, Wolf Prize 2008 laureate, will attend the Israeli premiere on February 25 of his concerto for two violins to be played by violinists Andres Mustonen and Pavel Vernikov - who is also the festival's artistic director. The day before that, Moore, a special UNICEF ambassador since 1991, will narrate Camille Saint-Saens's Carnival of the Animals, played by a no lesser galaxy of musical stars such as violinists Julian Rachlin and Vernikov, clarinetist Ernst Ottensamer, percussionist Tomer Yariv and pianist Richard Hyung-ki Joo. Joo is half of Igudesman and Joo, which is making its local debut with A Little Nightmare Music, introducing people to the classics via comedy. Serious musicians both, with prolific careers, they have been together since Joo and violin prodigy Aleksey Igudesman met at the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music at age 12. Other special features include a concert of its country's music by Italian brass quintet Gomalan and early music on authentic instruments by the Il Fondamento ensemble, conducted by Paul Dombrecht. For more information: www.eilat-festival.com.