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The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation (IPO Foundation, Hebrew: קרן התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית Keren ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisre'elit) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial support to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Since its founding in 1981, the IPO Foundation has helped fund the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s international tours, music education programs, and special musical events throughout Israel.

Mission
It is the mission of the IPO Foundation to secure the financial future of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra so that it may continue to travel throughout the world bringing its message of peace and cultural understanding through music. The IPO Foundation supports the Orchestra's international touring program, educational projects, a wide array of musical activities in Israel and an endowment fund to further ensure the IPO's future.

Funds raised by IPO Foundation help the Orchestra initiate and strengthen existing programs, and maintain its high standard of musical excellence without placing a financial burden on the IPO’s budget or compromising its long-term stability. Contributions help to underwrite the IPO’s international tours, expand and enhance the Orchestra’s musical programs for Israeli youth, purchase valuable instruments to enrich the sound of the Orchestra, and preserve the Orchestra’s history through archival projects.

History
The IPO Foundation was founded in 1981 in response to the lack of a substantial Israeli government subsidy or endowment for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The IPO Foundation's first act was to create an Endowment Fund for the Orchestra, invested with the principal of each donation kept intact. Income from the Endowment Fund is used both to finance the Orchestra's long-term projects and to balance the Orchestra's budget if revenues fall short of operating expenses in any given year.

Over the years, the IPO Foundation has shifted its focus to financing the music education and community outreach initiatives of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra as well as maintaining the Endowment Fund and building a network of foundations and individuals who support the IPO.

KeyNote
In addition to providing financial security to the Orchestra, the IPO Foundation funds the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s Music Education and Community Outreach department, KeyNote (Hebrew: תכנית מפתח). Since its founding in 2001, KeyNote has established numerous programs to help Israel’s youth. KeyNote offers music education programs for kindergarten, elementary school, and high school students. These music education programs consist of: educating teachers to teach children to understand and appreciate classical music; designing music education curriculums for participating schools; bringing small ensembles of IPO members into each participating music class once a semester; and organizing concerts at which the pieces studied each semester are presented in concert by members of the IPO. The KeyNote program collaborates with the music department at Levinsky Teachers College and is supervised by the musical education department of the Ministry of Education. The program's philosophy is that a concert is the culmination of the preparation process. Over a three-year period, each child attends six Philharmonic morning concerts with pieces specifically tailored to his age group. The programs are composed of highlights from the symphonic repertoire.

KeyNote recently inaugurated a similar program called KeyNote in the Community, wherein musicians perform for rural communities — both children and adults — with the same emphasis on education and on curriculum development prior to concerts. Meanwhile, these communities, both Arab and Jewish, are given tickets and transportation to concerts at Mann Auditorium, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s home in Tel Aviv.

In addition, KeyNote oversees Shesh-Besh, an ensemble that brings together musicians from the IPO and the Arab Christian and Muslim communities of northern Israel. The group uses a mixture of instruments (flute, nay, violin, viola, eastern violin, oud, double bass, and assorted percussion), and thus fuses elements from both Western and Arab music. The group performs throughout the country and has also toured internationally at Carnegie Hall and at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

KeyNote also oversees Tochnit Mifne, a program founded by Maestro Zubin Mehta to promote education in Arab music as well as Western music for students of the Galilee region. The program collaborates with the Beit Il Musika Conservatory in Sh'far'am and The Mouteran School in Nazareth in order to provide cross-cultural musical training for Israeli students of music.

Annual Gala
The IPO FOundation hosts an annual Gala event featuring Maestro Zubin Mehta at the helm of the IPO for a special concert at the Fredric R. Mann Auditorium. It concludes with a festive meal at the elegant Hilton Tel-Aviv, which overlooks the Mediterranean.



Patron Travel
Each year, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra acts as one of Israel's leading cultural ambassadors, visiting and performing in countries around the world. IPO Foundation Patrons are invited to join the Orchestra in touring the globe and bringing the sounds of the IPO to classical music-lovers in all corners of the world.

The IPO Foundation designs an exclusive travel experience for all Patrons traveling with the Orchestra. Besides attending a performance of each IPO concert program given on the international tour, Patrons participate in specially designed tours throughout the country featuring exclusive museum tours organized by the International Friends of the IPO, unique guided tours of the country’s most interesting cultural landmarks, and fine dining at the country’s finest restaurants.