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A British-Israeli violinist has launched a music school for children that is believed to be the first of its kind in London, combining conservatoire-level music education with Jewish cultural content.
Itamar Rashkovsky has set up the Miriam School of Music (MSM), a music school based at JW3 that also offers instrumental lessons in people’s homes. And, while traditional conservatoires for children run on Saturdays, his school aims to be accessible to all Jewish families by running on Sundays.
“The project’s aim,” explains Rashkovsky, “is to create a vibrant, welcoming space where children of all musical backgrounds and standards can explore a Jewish-based curriculum with conservatoire-level educators.
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“The two worlds – that of Jewish music and of conservatoire-level education – are quite separated. Jewish students shouldn’t have to choose between spiritual observance and musical ambition, and it has been really interesting to have people with conservatoire backgrounds teaching technical skills through examples of Jewish music and Jewish culture.”
The summer school at JW3 – which runs on 15, 22 and 29 June – will involve choir, theory and learning musicianship through song, dance and interactive games for groups as well as year-round one-to-one instrumental lessons taught by conservatoire-trained teachers. Both are available to complete beginners as well as more experienced learners and the instrumental lessons, which are more centred around the individual’s needs, can be taught in their home, the teacher’s home or remotely.
Rashkovsky, who grew up in Earl’s Court but now lives in north London, is passionate about the idea of teaching music that reflects and celebrates Jewish heritage and culture.
“Music is a huge part of our tradition, our celebrations and our mournings. It is integral to our lived experiences, our shared histories. Music is part of Jewish life – from the joy of Simchat Torah to the solemnity of Kol Nidre. MSM encourages children and families to connect with Jewish sound and spirit. This is a call to action: let’s bring more Jewish music into our homes, our gatherings and our identity.”
He points to the fact that many of the 20th century’s greatest classical musicians were Jewish – Yehudi Menuhin, Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Arthur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz. “It’s a community with such a rich background in violin and music. And I thought that there needed to be more outreach to embrace the talent within the community and to find and nurture the next generation of stars and unlock their potential,” he adds.
Itamar Rashkovsky
The son of two parents who are both professional violinists (as is his sister), Rashkovsky, 29, first picked up the violin “very reluctantly”, he admits. “At the age of seven, I wanted to play the guitar, but they gave me the violin – and now I understand why; it’s a bit of a family trade! – and I was very reluctant until about the age of 13. At that point, I don’t know what it was, but I became obsessed with the instrument and I started practising really hard and began to win prizes.”
When he was 10, Rashkovsky was accepted into the Royal College of Music (Junior Department), receiving a full scholarship aged 14. He now teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Junior Guildhall – and was the youngest violin faculty member at a junior conservatoire in the UK at the time of his appointment in 2021.
You might be forgiven, then, for thinking that Rashkovsky devotes his entire working life to music but you’d be mistaken; he is a management consultant.
“Management consulting is a job I enjoy. Music is something that I grew up with – I come from a musical background. Music means so many things – it expresses what words can’t or what some people would struggle to put into words. So it’s the language that starts when spoken language ends.
“It’s almost like the more I do in music, the more energy I have to give to other areas of my life. Music gives me energy, and especially in my teaching, which is so important to me. To see your students grow and to see the real impact you have on their lives – and, whether or not they become musicians, that’s really meaningful and powerful.
“To me, music is really a passion and I want to give more of that to the Jewish community.”
Discover more at jw3.org.uk/whats-on/summer-music-school
and mirimusic.com
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