From June 26 to July 3, the New Jewish Theatre is presenting the inaugural Gesher Music Festival of Emerging Artists in the Marvin & Harlene Studio Theatre of the JCC. The Festival is a collaboration between Festival Producer Kathleen Sitzer, Artistic Director of NJT, and her daughter, Sara Sitzer, a professional cellist who will serve as the Festival’s Artistic Director. Gesher is Hebrew for “bridge” or “connection.” With the festival, NJT is building bridges to fill a cultural void in JCC Cultural programming and to offer high quality chamber music to the community. The festival aims to expose new audiences to classical music, promote emerging artists, and infuse the experience with Jewish thematic content.

The Gesher Music Festival will feature music written by Jewish and non-Jewish composers that relates to the Jewish experience. There will be a world premiere written expressly for the festival. The musicians, including the composer, are young professional emerging artists who are just beginning their musical careers in places as diverse as Boston, Chicago, Copenhagen, Montreal and New York.

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During the week, festival artists will be visiting day camps, senior living communities and inner-city youth centers to play for people who might not otherwise have a chance to hear a live performance, and to help them understand the pieces musically, culturally and intellectually.

The festival has the endorsement of renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and is being supported in part by the Silk Foundation.

Programming will consist of a gala opening event at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 26 with a preview of some of the week’s music, an opportunity to meet the artists and a light menu of hors d’oeuvres and drinks. The price for this event is $65.

At 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 27 there will be a lecture by musicologist Ludmilla Leibman on “Musical Memorials to the Holocaust,” featuring music of Shostakovich, Schoenberg and Reich. This program is sponsored in part by The Holocaust Museum and Learning Center. The cost is $12 and $15.

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There will be two concerts, each with a repeat performance. The Wednesday, June 29 and Saturday, July 2 concerts at 7:30 p.m. feature the music of Prokofiev, Mahler, Mendelssohn and a world premiere by composer George Lam. Tickets are $18 and $20.

The 7:30 p.m. Thursday June 30 and 2 p.m. Sunday July 3 concerts feature the music of Glijov, Copland, Schoenfield and Shostakovitch. Tickets are $18 and $20.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 1 the musicians will be featured as part of the Shabbat service at Central Reform Congregation. There is no charge for this event.

All events except for the Shabbat service will take place in the Marvin & Harlene Wool Studio Theatre of the JCC. Details on the concerts and concert series packages are available at www.newjewishtheatre.org. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 314-442-3283.