REFLEX is a non-profit organization based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Its artistic goal is to promote the creation and performance of interdisciplinary music.

Reflex is basically a conceptual umbrella that has established itself as one of the main forces in the Israeli, and to some extent, also the European contemporary music scene. Reflex was founded by Keren Rosenbaum in 1998, following the NEW VOICES interdisciplinary festival in Kibbutz Kfar-Blum in the Northern Galilee. The members of Reflex all share the passion for performing high quality, cutting-edge music that responds to the latest trends in contemporary and avant-guard art forms, worldwide.

The Core of Reflex is the Reflex Ensemble. The Ensemble consists of a group of talented musicians as well as performing artists from different realms of the arts - dance, theatre and visual arts, from Israel as well as from Holland, the U.S., Switzerland, Germany, Finland and more.

Interdisciplinary creation and contemporary experimental music specifically require an experimental performing space, special technical facilities, and most of all, an open-minded audience willing to take part in an experimental exploration process.

The Ensemble has already produced three full programs over the past three years (named, naturally, Reflex I, II & III). In addition, the Ensemble also cooperated with artists and institutions such as the Bezal'el Art Academy in Jerusalem, and the "209 Shelter" Performance Art Center.

Reflex is committed to the education of young musicians and artists in a number of ways. The group is the only interdisciplinary group in Israel that introduces the most contemporary developments from the international scene to the Israeli youth. Almost all of the members of Reflex are professional teachers and educators, and their activities in Reflex give them the opportunity also to expose their students to the group's work, allowing the students to follow closely and participate in professional productions.

The impact of the Reflex's work and artistic activity was very much apparent in the Ultra-Sound festivals (I & II) at the Tmu-Na theater in Tel-Aviv, which I had the honor to curate. The two festivals created quite a stir in the local music and arts scene, since they were the first of their kind in Israel, offering both upcoming as well as established artists an opportunity to create and experience real interdisciplinary art.

The art establishment in Israel, in spite of the above, has yet to recognize and acknowledge this new breed of art. Interdisciplinary performers and artists "fall between the chairs" in terms of allocation of funding and public awareness. In the present political situation, public funding for the arts is constantly reduced, and more so regarding innovative experimental ensembles, which receive insufficient support. While the different disciplines in the classical arts - classical music, theater, ballet, opera and others - are relatively nurtured, the area of interdisciplinary art is still managed like an underground operation.

I believe that it is extremely important to provide artists from different disciplines the opportunity to broaden their horizons and become part of the new worldwide interdisciplinary scene.

Keren Rosenbaum