The Waldbühne Concert

For almost 20 years, the West‐Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward W. Said, has been known throughout the music world as a global ambassador for cultural understanding. The young artists from Israel, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and other Middle Eastern and North‐African countries bring to the table a willingness not only to engage for the sake of music, but to develop an open ear for the experiences and perspectives of their colleagues, through conversation and discussion.

Daniel Barenboim’s life is an epic spanning continents featuring a star‐studded cast of musical giants and punctuated by remarkable achievements and innumerable awards, accolades, and prizes. Born in Argentina to Russian Jewish parents, Barenboim’s career started behind the piano with an international debut in Vienna and Rome in 1952 before moving towards conducting and musical direction—his current forte. Barenboim is currently head of the Berlin State Opera, and the Staatskapelle Berlin, ensembles he has stamped with his distinctive personal tastes and approach. In 1999, Maestro Barenboim and Palestinian literary scholar Edward Said established the West‐Eastern Divan Orchestra, which brings together young musicians from Israel, Palestine, and other Arab and North‐African countries and tours internationally every summer.