The story of the friendship between a Jewish– American conductor and Pope John Paul II This book offers the inspirational story of an unlikely friendship and the two men who collaborated in an extraordinary way to begin to help heal centuries– old wounds. For two decades Sir Gilbert Levine and Pope John Paul II collaborated on symbolic acts of reconciliation: a series of internationally broadcast concerts designed to bring together people from all religious backgrounds under the auspices of the Vatican. These concerts broke new ground and demonstrated the Vatican′ s desire for rapprochement and even atonement in its relationships with Jews around the world. And it resulted in Sir Gilbert recovering his own Jewish faith in a deeper and more meaningful way. Details the extraordinary collaboration between a world– renowned musical maestro and an innovative Pope Shows how music can act as a bridge between people of different faiths A moving, inspirational, and personal story that appeals to music lovers and to people of all faith traditions This is a compelling tale of faith, friendship, and the healing power of music to bring people together. The true story of an unlikely friendship between a prominent Jewish– American conductor and the beloved Pope John Paul II This book offers the inspirational story of an unlikely friendship and the two men who collaborated in an extraordinary way to begin to help heal centuries– old wounds. “ Maestro Gilbert Levine had the extraordinary privilege of conducting concerts for His Holiness Pope John Paul II for seventeen years. I was proud to collaborate closely with him as he created such events as the Papal Concert to Commemorate Shoah and the Papal Concert of Reconciliation, which helped immeasurable to bring the Pope’ s message of peace and understanding to Christians and Jews, Muslims, and peoples of all faith throughout the world. Sir Gilbert’ s inspiring book about his journey to Krakow, the Vatican, and beyond will enrich everyone who reads this unique and ennobling story.” — Stanislaw Cardinal Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow “ Maestro Gilbert Levine had the extraordinary privilege of conducting concerts for His Holiness Pope John Paul II for seventeen years. I was proud to collaborate closely with him as he created such events as the Papal Concert to Commemorate Shoah and the Papal Concert of Reconciliation, which helped immeasurable to bring the Pope’ s message of peace and understanding to Christians and Jews, Muslims, and peoples of all faith throughout the world. Sir Gilbert’ s inspiring book about his journey to Krakow, the Vatican, and beyond will enrich everyone who reads this unique and ennobling story.” — Stanislaw Cardinal Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow Foreword (John Tagliabue). Prelude. Part One Ave Maria. Chapters 1– 6. Part Two Kaddish. Chapters 7– 23. Part Three Creation. Chapters 24– 30. Part Four Resurrection. Chapters 31– 36. Coda. About the DVD. Acknowledgments. The Author. Not all books are worth writing this one assuredly is, because it tells how peace can happen, one heart at a time. It helps when the hearts beat in people of influence and talent. The hearts in question are, first, that of author Levine, a conductor, Brooklyn– born Jew, and son– in– law of a Holocaust survivor. The other heart? Polish– born Pope John Paul II, who may be headed to sainthood. Levine and the late pope became acquainted when the musician became the conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic in the heady days of the late 1980s, as the Iron Curtain slowly crumbled in Eastern Europe. Levine and the pope became spiritual friends, collaborating on papal– sponsored concerts of reconciliation intended to ease estrangement and pained history between Catholic Christians and Jews, and, post– September 11, among the three Abrahamic religions. This remarkable and little– known story deserves attention. (Oct.) ( Publishers Weekly , August 16, 2010) „Talk about a baptism in fire. Levine is witty as he tells of his observations of Communist Poland, the intricacies of the Catholic Church, and his first glimpses of the Vatican… He strikes a dreamlike tone as he tells of how he and Pope John Paul II became friends.” ( The Buffalo News.com , March 20, 2011, by Mary Kunz Goldman) Sir Gilbert Levine is a distinguished American conductor who has led major orchestras in the United States and abroad, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, San Francisco Symphony, London Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Krakó w Philharmonic, and L’ Orchestre de la Bastille (Paris). Educated at Juilliard, Princeton, and Yale, Maestro Levine has conducted numerous televised concerts on PBS and for the European Broadcasting Union, and performed for His Holiness Pope John Paul II on many occasions. He has been honored with the highest Pontifical Knighthood accorded a non– ecclesiastical musician since Mozart. The Pope’ s Maestro tells the inspirational story of a most improbable friendship between the American conductor Sir Gilbert Levine and His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Together they collaborated closely, over a period of more than seventeen years, using music to heal centuries– old religious wounds.   Maestro Levine created and conducted a series of ground– breaking, internationally broadcast concerts that brought artistic form to Pope John Paul II’ s fervent wish to forge an historic bridge first between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish people, and then, after 9/11, with the Muslim world as well. These efforts culminated in the Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust in 1994 and the Papal Concert of Reconciliation in 2004.   During his years as music director [stet caps for Sir G’ s preference] of the Krakó w Philharmonic, Sir Gilbert had an insider’ s view of Eastern Europe’ s inexorable journey from Communism to freedom. And in the years following, he experienced the world of Pope John Paul in a way few lay people, and even fewer Jews, have ever been honored to do. That work, paradoxically enough, deepened Sir Gilbert’ s own Jewish belief and practice .   The Pope’ s Maestro tells the story of the compelling musical and spiritual journey of two men of different faiths who found in music the power to foster peace and unity in a profoundly divided world.
