Renowned Israeli conductor Israel Yinon has collapsed and died during a concert performance in Switzerland.The 59-year-old was conducting at a concert given by a Swiss youth orchestra in Lucerne, when he fell dramatically to the ground. An audience member rushed to his aid, but the musician died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. There were no immediate details about the cause of death. Colleagues said they had lost “a big-hearted friend”.The “highly regarded” conductor was hailed as “a sensitive educator” by Marc Reinhardt, a spokesman for the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts where he worked.The musician, who was born in Israel but later moved to Germany, dedicated his career to rediscovering works by composers killed during the Holocaust.
He was the first to record the symphonic works of Viktor Ullmann and was instumental in reviving works by Ernest Bloch, Karol Rathaus and Pavel Haas.He served as guest conductor with numerous orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic.
