Haifa's Dan Carmel and Dan Panorama hotels are scheduled to host the Mu/Zi international chamber music festival from November 26 to 30, 2026, Dan Hotels announced. The chain said this would be its first time hosting the festival in the city.
Violinist Guy Braunstein, a former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, and cellist Zvi Plesser are the festival's artistic directors. Performances in the northern Israeli port city are scheduled for the Dan Carmel's King David Hall and the Dan Panorama's Alon Hall, with morning concerts, afternoon recitals, and late-night programs.
The announced lineup includes violinist Michael Guttman, pianist Hyung-ki Joo, flutist Gili Schwarzman, clarinetist Rafael Schenkel, and oud player Taiseer Elias. Other scheduled performers include Andrey Godik, principal oboist of the Munich Philharmonic, and bassoonist Mor Biron, who was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2007 to 2021.
According to the program supplied by Dan Hotels, the repertoire includes Dvořák's Piano Quintet No. 2, Beethoven's “Razumovsky” Quartet No. 1, and Schubert's Octet in F major, alongside works by Ravel, Debussy, and Poulenc. Israeli compositions and performances by younger musicians are also on the program.
Joo, known for combining classical music and comedy in the duo Igudesman & Joo, is scheduled to appear in several evening programs. He also performed Billy Joel's classical piano compositions on the album Fantasies & Delusions.
From Dvořák to Mati Caspi
Braunstein is scheduled to perform in Dvořák's piano quintet on November 26 at 7:30 p.m. A program at 10 p.m. that day lists Joo in music including Ravel's La Valse and Joo's own composition Lullaby for Leo, according to the announcement.
On November 27 at 10 p.m., Braunstein and Joo are scheduled to appear in a program bringing together Strauss, Mahler, and Charlie Chaplin, with musical humor incorporated into the performance. Another late-night concert, on November 29, is dedicated to Israeli singer and composer Mati Caspi.
The November 28 program at 7:30 p.m. includes a suite from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess arranged by Biron. Elias is scheduled to perform on the oud, a fretless stringed instrument central to Arab musical traditions, as part of the festival's mix of chamber music and other musical forms.
Remembering a young composer
A November 27 concert at 4 p.m., titled Uri's Seasons, is to feature works by Uri Bar-Or, the 21-year-old composer and Israeli soldier killed in combat in Gaza in May 2024. A conversation with his family is part of the program.
Bar-Or studied composition with Michael Wolpe at Sde Boker in southern Israel. His music has continued to be performed since his death, including Winter, which was included in the Voice of Music Festival's December 2024 program.
The Haifa festival also includes a platform for young performers and opportunities to work with established musicians. Musica Impact, the nonprofit organization behind the festival, said students would take part in workshops and masterclasses led by visiting artists and perform for communities across northern Israel.
Accommodation packages
Dan Hotels is offering three- and four-night accommodation packages with concert admission and half-board meals, meaning breakfast and one additional meal each day. The advertised starting prices are for two people who are members of the chain's e-Dan loyalty club.
At the Dan Carmel, the quoted rates start at NIS 4,996 for three nights and NIS 6,300 for four nights. At the Dan Panorama Haifa, they start at NIS 4,245 for three nights and NIS 5,400 for four nights, according to the company's announcement.
The festival's closing concert is scheduled for November 30 at 11 a.m. with Schubert's Octet, D. 803, on the program.