Turning the Shofar into a Symphonic Instrument

On August 25, synagogues around the world will begin blowing the shofar during morning prayers in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, known in the liturgy as “The Day of Horn Blasts.” This ancient instrument is traditionally used to sound a limited number of tones, but the Israeli-born musician Bar Zemach, a classically trained French-horn player, has developed a method of using it to play scales and melodies. He describes wht led him to embrace the shofar, his relationship with Jewish music, his thoughts on Richard Wagner’s anti-Semitism, and much else in conversation with Matt Austerklein. (Audio, 52 minutes.)