Orly Beigel Productions

28 years presenting the foremost artistic and cultural attractions.

Mercedes Sosa in Tel Aviv and Stevie Wonder in Jerusalem, Liza Minelli in post Soviet Moscow, Jessye Norman, Ute Lemper, Philip Glass and Madredeus in the mestizo heart of Mexico City…

These are some of the attractions that have been presented by Orly Beigel Productions (OBP) since it began nearly 28 years ago, in which time it has also brought to the public from the classical virtuosity of Mstislav Rostropovich and Itzhak Perlman to the not less classical Celia Cruz at the summit of her career.

OBP’s shows-cozy and simple, yet professional to the last detail-reflect the personality and life experiences of Orly Beigel herself, whose cultural background is as diverse as the repertoire of the artists she presents. Marked by many influences and landscapes, Orly grew up feeling equally at home amidst the heartfelt strains of the tango, the passion of operatic arias, the nostalgia of the melodies from her parents’ homeland, and the exuberant boleros that rang from the myriad urban radio stations.

It was precisely this calling for sharing that rich and eclectic universe that gave rise to what is now OBP.

In 1980, what was then hardly more than a teenager wanted to bring to the people of Israel the sensibility of Mercedes Sosa, voice of the Latin American peoples who were being beaten down by military dictatorships.

It was during that first experience when daring and imagination took flight and Orly placed a winning bet on the public’s intelligence-hoping for their complicity. And there it happened: in a single stage, in harmony and solidarity, the words of the memorable Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni rang proud in the deep voice of Sosa, her compatriot, and then again in Hebrew in an innovative and moving rendition by Israeli singer Chava Albertsein.

Some of the featured artists:

Since those early days, Orly has forged a personal relationship with the artists who are the core and priority of her work. Her shows often have a cozy salon atmosphere- as if she were to invite a close circle of friends for listening to the music that moves and touches her- yet this feeling of warmth and intimacy does not take place in her living room, but in concert halls and auditoriums the world over.

In these 28 years OBP has evolved into an independent company known worldwide. It works with cultural organizations in many countries and well as with international organizations such as the U.N. and Amnesty International.

Its mission is to promote artistic experiences among a wide variety of audiences, countries and cultures and takes several approaches in doing so: sometimes it brings established artists to new markets, other times it provides international exposure to the newest and most cutting-edge artistic expressions.

In 1987 OBP opened its home office in Mexico City and soon after presented the Israeli Symphony Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra, Ravi Shankar, Pilobolus, Diamanda Galás, Tito Puente and Natalie Cole, among others.

Bel canto and opera are two genres Orly holds dear, and she has carried that love onto the stage with performers of the stature of Jessye Norman, Frederica von Stade, Barbara Hendricks, Julia Migenes and Kathleen Battle.

She has been at the forefront in promoting the best modern and traditional jazz bringing to Cancún the sound of stars such as Ray Charles, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Al Jarreau, Earl Klugh, Manhattan Transfer and Gato Barbieri.

Likewise, Orly has brought to the discriminating and not easy to please Russian audiences the best of Western pop including Liza Minelli, Tom Jones and The Gipsy Kings.

In the recent past, OBP has presented the cross-cultural virtuosity of the Kronos Quartet, the enchantment of Madredeus and the versatile beauty of Teresa Salgueiro; the impressive range of Ute Lemper who takes us from Brel to Piazzola and back to Elvis Costello, and the provocative multimedia performance of Laurie Anderson.

The versatile and global outlook of OBP can also be seen through its work with Phillip Glass, who merges an exquisite classical training with his indefatigable quest for musical voices and influences which he casts in his work for the theater, music, dance and film.