Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoBen Sayevich hopes to replace the sound of artillery fire in Israel with music from his violin.
Sayevich, a Kansas University associate professor of music, will travel to the war-ravaged country next week for three concerts with Israeli chamber musicians.
“There is no end to destruction, and there’s no end as we’ve proven to how much people can hurt each other,” he said. “I’m so privileged to be a musician. There is a sense of beauty in our world. I wish it could be infective.”
Sayevich was born in Lithuania but lived in Israel from ages 12 to 21. He also served for three years in the Israeli army.
Sayevich, 42, is going to Israel despite U.S. State Department warnings to avoid travel there. A government statement cites the “high” potential for future terrorist attacks amid the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Sayevich said he has no plans to cancel the trip, which has been scheduled for half a year. He said he actually feels better being in Israel during the violence than in the United States worrying about his two brothers and their children, who live near Tel Aviv.
“I get worried seeing it on TV,” he said.
Sayevich travels to Israel about every other year, but the trips usually don’t include performances.
He will be in Israel until April 27. The concerts, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, are with members of the Israeli Philharmonic.
Sayevich, who has taught at KU since 1987, said he didn’t know how many people would attend the concerts, given the violence. But for those who do, he said, it’s a way of coping.
“The nature of people there is they’re slightly uptight and short-fused because of the high intensity of life,” he said. At a concert “for a little while, you’re in a make-believe world. You get out of the real world, and you’re at peace.”
Sayevich said ending the violence in the Middle East would require a shift in power from radicals to moderates for both Israeli and Palestinian governments. He said he didn’t think U.S. intervention would help.
“Israel has always been a volatile place,” he said. “It’s a place where you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. This is definitely the worst I’ve seen it.
“The solution has to be between the people who are having the conflict. There’s no Hollywood-star solution here.”
Despite the violence, he said he’s optimistic the region some day will see peace.
“Eventually people learn the best of each other, not the worst of each other,” he said.
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoBen Sayevich hopes to replace the sound of artillery fire in Israel with music from his violin.
Sayevich, a Kansas University associate professor of music, will travel to the war-ravaged country next week for three concerts with Israeli chamber musicians.
“There is no end to destruction, and there’s no end as we’ve proven to how much people can hurt each other,” he said. “I’m so privileged to be a musician. There is a sense of beauty in our world. I wish it could be infective.”
Sayevich was born in Lithuania but lived in Israel from ages 12 to 21. He also served for three years in the Israeli army.
Sayevich, 42, is going to Israel despite U.S. State Department warnings to avoid travel there. A government statement cites the “high” potential for future terrorist attacks amid the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Sayevich said he has no plans to cancel the trip, which has been scheduled for half a year. He said he actually feels better being in Israel during the violence than in the United States worrying about his two brothers and their children, who live near Tel Aviv.
“I get worried seeing it on TV,” he said.
Sayevich travels to Israel about every other year, but the trips usually don’t include performances.
He will be in Israel until April 27. The concerts, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, are with members of the Israeli Philharmonic.
Sayevich, who has taught at KU since 1987, said he didn’t know how many people would attend the concerts, given the violence. But for those who do, he said, it’s a way of coping.
“The nature of people there is they’re slightly uptight and short-fused because of the high intensity of life,” he said. At a concert “for a little while, you’re in a make-believe world. You get out of the real world, and you’re at peace.”
Sayevich said ending the violence in the Middle East would require a shift in power from radicals to moderates for both Israeli and Palestinian governments. He said he didn’t think U.S. intervention would help.
“Israel has always been a volatile place,” he said. “It’s a place where you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. This is definitely the worst I’ve seen it.
“The solution has to be between the people who are having the conflict. There’s no Hollywood-star solution here.”
Despite the violence, he said he’s optimistic the region some day will see peace.
“Eventually people learn the best of each other, not the worst of each other,” he said.
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoBen Sayevich hopes to replace the sound of artillery fire in Israel with music from his violin.
Sayevich, a Kansas University associate professor of music, will travel to the war-ravaged country next week for three concerts with Israeli chamber musicians.
“There is no end to destruction, and there’s no end as we’ve proven to how much people can hurt each other,” he said. “I’m so privileged to be a musician. There is a sense of beauty in our world. I wish it could be infective.”
Sayevich was born in Lithuania but lived in Israel from ages 12 to 21. He also served for three years in the Israeli army.
Sayevich, 42, is going to Israel despite U.S. State Department warnings to avoid travel there. A government statement cites the “high” potential for future terrorist attacks amid the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Sayevich said he has no plans to cancel the trip, which has been scheduled for half a year. He said he actually feels better being in Israel during the violence than in the United States worrying about his two brothers and their children, who live near Tel Aviv.
“I get worried seeing it on TV,” he said.
Sayevich travels to Israel about every other year, but the trips usually don’t include performances.
He will be in Israel until April 27. The concerts, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, are with members of the Israeli Philharmonic.
Sayevich, who has taught at KU since 1987, said he didn’t know how many people would attend the concerts, given the violence. But for those who do, he said, it’s a way of coping.
“The nature of people there is they’re slightly uptight and short-fused because of the high intensity of life,” he said. At a concert “for a little while, you’re in a make-believe world. You get out of the real world, and you’re at peace.”
Sayevich said ending the violence in the Middle East would require a shift in power from radicals to moderates for both Israeli and Palestinian governments. He said he didn’t think U.S. intervention would help.
“Israel has always been a volatile place,” he said. “It’s a place where you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. This is definitely the worst I’ve seen it.
“The solution has to be between the people who are having the conflict. There’s no Hollywood-star solution here.”
Despite the violence, he said he’s optimistic the region some day will see peace.
“Eventually people learn the best of each other, not the worst of each other,” he said.
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoBen Sayevich hopes to replace the sound of artillery fire in Israel with music from his violin.
Sayevich, a Kansas University associate professor of music, will travel to the war-ravaged country next week for three concerts with Israeli chamber musicians.
“There is no end to destruction, and there’s no end as we’ve proven to how much people can hurt each other,” he said. “I’m so privileged to be a musician. There is a sense of beauty in our world. I wish it could be infective.”
Sayevich was born in Lithuania but lived in Israel from ages 12 to 21. He also served for three years in the Israeli army.
Sayevich, 42, is going to Israel despite U.S. State Department warnings to avoid travel there. A government statement cites the “high” potential for future terrorist attacks amid the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Sayevich said he has no plans to cancel the trip, which has been scheduled for half a year. He said he actually feels better being in Israel during the violence than in the United States worrying about his two brothers and their children, who live near Tel Aviv.
“I get worried seeing it on TV,” he said.
Sayevich travels to Israel about every other year, but the trips usually don’t include performances.
He will be in Israel until April 27. The concerts, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, are with members of the Israeli Philharmonic.
Sayevich, who has taught at KU since 1987, said he didn’t know how many people would attend the concerts, given the violence. But for those who do, he said, it’s a way of coping.
“The nature of people there is they’re slightly uptight and short-fused because of the high intensity of life,” he said. At a concert “for a little while, you’re in a make-believe world. You get out of the real world, and you’re at peace.”
Sayevich said ending the violence in the Middle East would require a shift in power from radicals to moderates for both Israeli and Palestinian governments. He said he didn’t think U.S. intervention would help.
“Israel has always been a volatile place,” he said. “It’s a place where you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. This is definitely the worst I’ve seen it.
“The solution has to be between the people who are having the conflict. There’s no Hollywood-star solution here.”
Despite the violence, he said he’s optimistic the region some day will see peace.
“Eventually people learn the best of each other, not the worst of each other,” he said.
