The Israel Contemporary Players ( MIKSHAV Association) was first established in 1991 with the assistance of the Jerusalem Foundation, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israel Broadcast Authority, with a very distinct agenda—namely, to be the first truly professional and dedicated ensemble for contemporary music in Israel. The ensemble consists of 15 members, many of them well known international soloists. Leading European conductors and artists now have ongoing relationships with the ensemble, visiting Israel regularly to perform before enthusiastic listeners. Since its foundation, the Israel Contemporary Players has performed the entire classical repertoire of the twentieth century, together with new works, with well known conductors and soloists from Israel and abroad. The ensemble offers educational activities for both adults and young people. These activities include lectures and study groups as well as workshops for young conductors and composers. The ensemble is considered the leading Israeli group in the area of contemporary music and every year it performs and records commissioned works by Israeli composers. The ensemble is internationally acclaimed and is regularly invited to undertake concert tours to musical centers worldwide. The Israel Contemporary Players was awarded the National Lottery Foundation’s prize for excellence, and has received the nomination of excellence from the ministry of culture (together with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra) every year since the nomination started. The Discoveries concert series is presented regularly at one of Israel’s most prestigious venues, the Zucker Hall in Tel Aviv. Each year, the ensemble performs and records numerous commissioned works by Israeli composers. In addition to its main concert series, the ensemble is deeply committed to educational activities for both adults and young audiences. The ensemble’s contribution to contemporary musical life in Israel is substantial. Through its diverse programs and sustained activity, it has helped pave the way for the establishment of many smaller ensembles and has cultivated a broad and dedicated audience for contemporary music. The Discoveries Series is a subscription-based series with a steadily growing audience. In the past two seasons, most concerts have been sold out. The series consists of six annual programs (detailed in the attached document), all of which are recorded and filmed. The ensemble also rents a rehearsal space that serves as an intimate concert hall with 100 seats. In this venue, we present more experimental, electronic, and chamber music programs. These concerts complement the Discoveries series and offer a broader and more comprehensive view of contemporary music today. 2 Due to Israel’s geographical distance from Europe’s major contemporary music centers, maintaining the highest artistic standards requires bringing leading European conductors to work with the ensemble. Renowned conductors such as Peter Rundel, Christian Karlsen, George Jackson, Leo Warinsky, Daniel Kawka, and Franck Ollu have collaborated with us and continue to return. However, given the high costs of international travel and accommodation, producing the Discoveries series in Israel is significantly more expensive than in Europe.