In connection with Israel's 10th Anniversary and in order to encourage more people to visit Israel, he investigated to discover which musical instrument had no international competition. He was delighted to learn that there was no harp competition anywhere and immediately referred to King David's harp playing.

As the first Contest in 1959 approached, Mr. Propes compiled a list of world-famous harpists, as well as other prominent persons in the music domain, and toured the world to meet with them personally and to gain their consent to sit on the Jury during the forthcoming Contest in Israel. At the same opportunity he consulted with them to choose the set repertoire for the first Contest.

This precious assembly of harpists bestowed a great deal of prestige on the Contest and ensured its internationality: Maria Korchinska (England), Pierre Jamet (France), Phia Berghout (Holland), Clelia Gatti Aldrovandi (Italy), Vera Dulova (Russia), Nicanor Zabaleta (Spain), Lucile Johnson Rosenbloom, Lucile Lawrence and Eileen Malone (USA), Marcel Grandjany and Carlos Salzedo (USA and France).

They were among the greatest harpists of their time and one could only dream of having them come together to judge a harp contest; harpists and educators of world fame, who joined forces and met for the first time ever. Without these celebrities of the harp there would have been no Contest, professionally speaking. In addition to the artistic personalities, Propes 'annexed' en route eminent sponsors, without whom the Contest could not have existed financially.

There remained only the Prize: Lyon & Healy, harp builders in Chicago, responded by offering a Concert Grand Style 23 Harp as First Prize. The collaboration with Lyon & Healy continues today.

Aharon Zvi Propes, born in Latvia in 1904, graduated from the Hebrew High School in Riga. He studied law in Czechoslovakia at the University of Prague. For about 25 years, until he settled in Israel in 1949, he was active in the education of Zionist youth and was one of the founders and leaders of the Betar Movement.

In Israel he was appointed Director of Special Events in the Ministry of Tourism. In this capacity he was responsible for the founding of several cultural bodies and the inception of numerous events which were greatly praised.

Early in January 1978, Propes fainted on his way back to his home in Tel Aviv's Shadal Street. He was immediately taken to hospital where he died a few days later, on the 10th of January. After Propes' death, the Government of Israel declared that his three major enterprises would carry the addition: Founded by A Z Propes to their names.

A Street on the outskirts of Tel Aviv bears his name, as well as streets in Jerusalem and Haifa. The A.Z. Propes Prize, for the best performance of an Israeli composition, is offered at every Contest.

Propes indeed placed Israel's culture on the international stage.

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She was Director of the Ministry's Public Relations and Information Departments; a member of Israel's UN delegation; First Secretary at the Embassy in Washington; Consul in New York and Israel's Ambassador to Denmark 1965-1971.

Miss Herlitz was the Director of the Labour Party's International Department 1958-1962; a member of the Tel Aviv City Council 1961-1965; at the request of Prime Minister Golda Meir she founded the Israel Voluntary Service of which she was Chairperson from 1972 till 1978.

Miss Herlitz was a member of the Eight and Ninth Knesset (1973-1981) representing the Labour Party, and served on the Law and Constitution, the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees, as well as the Committee on the Interior.

Miss Herlitz was a member of the Israel Committee on the Status of Women. She is the Chairperson of the Friends of Denmark in Israel; a member of the Board of Trustees of Ben Gurion University of the Negev; the Board of Overseers of the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.

She has traveled in Europe, North and Central America, Asia and Africa.

Miss Herlitz was appointed Director of the International Harp Contest and the Zimriya (World Assembly of Choirs in Israel) in 1983. Since 2005 she serves as Chairperson of the International Harp Contest in Israel. Ms. Herlitz is a member of the Honorary Board of Directors of the World Harp Congress.

She published an Autobiography "How Far Can a Woman Go" (Ministry of Defense Publishers 1995).

She has been awarded "Freeman of the City of Tel Aviv" (1996) and Doctor Honoris Causa by the Hebrew Union College (1999). She is the recipient of the Prime Minister's Shield for Voluntarism. She lit a torch on Independence Day on Mount Herzl (2001).

In 2003 she has also received the Rosenblum Prize (Culture) of the City of Tel Aviv and the Woman of Distinction Award of Hadassah Women Zionist Organization of the USA.

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After a teaching career she was chosen to join the initial staff of the Education Television Station, where she broadcasted programs for schools.

Ms. Barnea established the Division of Culture, Art and Adult Education of the Kfar Saba Municipality and was its manager for many years.

She established and managed the Municipal Culture Center of Kfar Saba, the first of its kind in Israel and later on advised other cities in establishing such centers.

She created three Culture and Communities Centers in South Africa and served as an adviser on culture activities to the government of Bophuthatswana. She also was invited by the government of Chile to advice on culture activities.

Ms. Barnea spent three years in Germany as an emissary of the Jewish National Fund (KKL) in Germany where she not only raised funds but also organized information meetings and cultural events.

She was the Director of the Israel Vocal Music Center in Beit Itzhak and is a member of many artistic and culture organizations.

As well as being the Director of the International Harp Contest in Israel she is the Director of the "Zimriya", World Assembly of Choirs in Israel.

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Yuval Ben-ozer has collaborated, as chorus master, with great Maestri such as Daniel Barenboim, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Zubin Mehta, and Antonio Pappano. With these ensembles, he has performed in many festivals in Europe and in the U.S.A. and has won numerous prizes, including the award for “Outstanding Performance of an Israeli Composition” and first prizes in international choir competitions in Malta (1998), Spain (2000) and Belgium (2001). He also took part in the 2002 International Music Festival of Korea, as part of the World Cup tournament, and in 2003 in Sardinia, Italy.

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