Lev Arstein is a conductor, the founder and long-time head of the Israel Youth Symphony Orchestra, who dedicated his life to the musical education of young talents. In this interview, Lev Arstein shares his thoughts on music, pedagogy, and his professional journey.
You were born in Ukraine, and received your education at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts and the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. How did this academic experience influence your formation as a conductor and educator?
My academic experience laid the foundation for my scientific and professional criteria—both my personal standards and those I use in shaping young musicians (my students). During my studies (first at the conservatory, then in postgraduate work), I established a creative and pedagogical process that includes:
Acquiring deep knowledge (historical and academic) and analyzing the development process.
Setting personal goals relevant to the time and place of the creative work.
Supplementing necessary knowledge and skills in related fields (pedagogy, psychology, performance) that contribute to achieving the set goals. This entire path is what ultimately leads to success.
In the musical process, I believe the most important thing is the sincere, truthful, and trusting conveyance of the emotional state and the underlying thought. This is based on three elements:
Common sense (without it, you face a fiasco);
Heart and genuine emotions (without these, you are just a machine);
Technical resources and deep knowledge (without these, you are an amateur).
What is the most important thing in the creative musical process?
What professional challenges did you face during the process of adapting to a new country?
First and foremost, it was the language barrier that limited the scope of professional tasks. As you know, Israel is a country of immigrants. The orchestra I formed included children who arrived from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and other countries. It was necessary not only to set professional goals but also to be able to explain them to an orchestra that, in the initial stage, did not share a common language for communication.
What do you consider your most significant achievements?
Among my chief achievements, I certainly highlight the fact that I had the opportunity to be at the forefront of establishing three orchestras—a task that is both a great responsibility and a pleasure. A separate, very exciting event is the performance of musical premieres. Furthermore, concert tours where you represent your country—such as our tours in the UK, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Poland—always carry a significant moral and professional weight. However, the greatest reward is my students, who not only found their footing but have themselves become professional musicians, conductors, and organizers of international music projects.
In 1994, you founded and led the Youth Symphony Orchestra for 25 years. What was the main motivation behind creating this ensemble?
The sheer volume of talented young people who were open to professional musical work. During the Great Aliyah (1990–1995), a large number of young people came to Israel who had been seriously involved in music performance in their countries of origin. This orchestra was, perhaps for many, the only platform on which they felt confident. And as it turned out, the ensemble was what subsequently contributed to their development as individuals, with many later taking their rightful place in professional orchestras and music projects.
The orchestra has performed over 700 concerts and released 5 albums. Which of these works do you consider the most important in terms of popularizing musical art?
Annually, besides our regular concerts, we hold a CONCERT OF THE YEAR with the orchestra, and it is always very moving. Our main goal has always been to popularize musical art at the highest professional level.
You regularly conducted concert tours in Europe. How did foreign trips and performances influence the professional growth and worldview of the young musicians?
Any concert tour is a professional responsibility and a great deal of hard work. When the orchestra overcomes these challenges, it grows. One of the KEY goals of any touring engagement is to present the orchestra, its professional level of performance, and ultimately, the country, in the best possible light.
Tell us about the process of creating a unique program that merged the music of the Middle East, the Balkans, and South America. What was the difficulty of this task?
It was a very complex task (integrating the musical cultures of the Middle East, the Balkan Peninsula, European countries, and South American countries). But there was a huge desire to show that we can and want to listen, know, and perform this music. And therefore, to get to know each other through it.
Your entire professional life has been dedicated to the musical education of young people. In your opinion, what is the main mission of the music educator in the 21st century?
The main mission of the music educator is to help the rising generation uncover their inner world and to provide them with all the tools necessary to do so.
Since 2019, you have been heading the "ATID" Center and Orchestra. What new goals or areas of work have you set for yourself and the young musicians within the framework of this project?
You appear as a guest conductor in various countries. How does working with European orchestras differ from working with Israeli youth ensembles?
When you arrive to work as a guest conductor, you must win the orchestra over and convince them to trust you implicitly within minutes. With your permanent orchestra, however, this process is something that is simply passed down from generation to generation.
What advice would you give to young performers who are just starting their journey towards the heights of professional musical art?
I would advise young performers this: Love what you do, and do what you love.
In the process of your work, it is vitally important to know the answers to three key questions:
– WHAT you want to create (your goal);
– HOW you must do it (your methods);
– HOW BADLY you want it (your motivation).
And, of course, always remember the connection between time periods: The professional musician’s future lies in their past; their past lives in the present; and they are obligated to transform the present into their future.
