DESERT SNOW: JAZZ ON THE EDGE FESTIVAL ENSEMBLE

Join us for a powerful evening of fearless, world-class music blending the spirit of the Mitzpe Ramon desert with the creative energy of Boston’s jazz scene.

This inaugural showcase-style concert brings together an extraordinary lineup of Israeli and American musicians, including several (David Alfaday, Assaf Goren, Daniel Schwarzwald) who are flying in from Israel, and multiple Berklee College of Music professors who will later travel to the Jazz on the Edge Festival in Mitzpe Ramon. The concert offers a rare preview of their vibrant new program, featuring beloved Israeli songs, traditional melodies, jazz standards, and original compositions by ensemble members.

Fusing jazz and world music, this concert is a celebration of musical connection between Israel and Boston — bold, joyful, and full of life.

Musicians:

David Alfadary – Saxophone

Ehud Ettun – Bass

Assaf Goren – Trumpet

Lihi Haruvi – Saxophone

Mitch Livstone – Guitar

Maxim Lubarsky – Piano/Keys

Daniel Schwarzwald – Piano/Keys

Andre Sudol – Drums

select performer bios below. More coming soon!

NOTA BENES:

Doors Open at 7:00. Concert begins at 7:30.

All seating except FRONT ROW is unassigned.

Tickets cannot be refunded but can be transferred to a different attendee.

We recommend buying tickets online whenever possible. Tickets will be available at the door with payment in cash or check only, for $35.

CONGREGATION KEHILLATH ISRAEL is a traditional inclusive synagogue that actively embraces individuals, its community, and the world. An innovative and prominent voice in North American Jewish life since 1917, it is one of Brookline's oldest synagogues.

Israeli bassist EHUD ETTUN has made a significant mark on the international jazz landscape, performing alongside esteemed artists including George Garzone, Fred Hersch, Danilo Perez, Donny McCaslin, Anat Cohen, and others. Ettun is recognized for his distinctive and melodic approach to the upright bass. Ettun has performed on stages such as the Blue Note (New York), the Kennedy Center (Washington DC), and numerous concerts and festivals throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Ehud is founder and artistic director of the Jazz on the Edge festival in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel.

A Mediterranean soul immersed in the Jazz tradition, Israeli saxophonist LIHI HARUVI is an active member of the international jazz scene as a performer, composer and educator. Known as a passionate improvisor with a strong belief in the healing power of music, Lihi is an engaging performer and teacher. She has shared the stage with Jazz Masters and Grammy winners Danilo Pérez, Luciana Souza, Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Dave Liebman, the great arrangers Bill Dobbins, Greg Hopkins, Rock and roll Hall of Fame drummer Max Weinberg, Lamine Touré; Group Saloum, and multi-platinum Israeli artist David Broza among others. Lihi has graced stages worldwide as a band leader at festivals like the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, Cork Guinness Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival. She serves as an Assistant Professor at Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute, and the Harmony department, a lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as serving as a faculty for New England Conservatory Jazz Programs.

MITCH LIVSTONE is a guitarist and composer who courts interactivity with fellow artists, creating stirring melodies from subtle phrases, and transforming trio gigs into headlining events. He has worked with Tim Ray, John Lockwood, Bruce Gertz, Ehud Ettun, Oscar Stagnaro, Mark Walker, Steve Langone, Bertram Lehman, Ángela Varo, Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez and Gary Fieldman, among other artists. Leading his own trio, ML Jazz Collaborative, and supporting others, Livstone has performed at Festivals around the country and has been a fixture around the Boston area at The Beehive, The Lilypad, Mad Monkfish, Zuzu, Latina Kitchen & other popular live music outlets. Praised by Boston critic Jon Garelick as an artist who “really shines” on the bandstand, he plays with thoughtful lyricism and brilliant tone colors.

Born and raised in Belarus, Livstone began earning critical accolades as a guitarist and composer by age 8, placing ahead of adult conservatory students in formal competitions. When his family emigrated to the U.S., Livstone put aside musical aspirations to pursue a sustainable career. He earned his Ph.D. in engineering from MIT, formally returning to music years later when he began studying with Peter Bernstein and Jonathan Kreisberg.

MAXIM LUBARSKY is a virtuosic pianist of enormous stylistic versatility and musicality. A native of Odesa, Ukraine, Maxim was originally trained as a classical pianist at the famous Stolyarsky school of Music and Odesa State Conservatory. Already in school he developed a passion for jazz and received a scholarship to come to Berklee College of Music to further his studies. Maxim has performed and recorded with such musicians as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lynn, Carrington, Gabrielle Goodman, Rhiannon, Patrice Rushen, Greg Osby, Dave Samuels, and participated in St. Petersburg Music Fest (Russia), Spoleto Festival (SC), Beantown Festival (MA), Diacetum Festival (Italy), “Black Sea Weekend"; (Ukraine), ArtNaples Festival (FL), Cambridge Jazz Festival (MA), Salem Jazz to name a few.

Maxim is an assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music. He has also been invited numerous times with masterclasses in China, South Africa, Ukraine and Russia. Maxim continues a vivid performing and recording career, leading Maxim Lubarsky Group and working on several other projects with musicians from around the world.