Michael Barenboim and West-Eastern Divan Ensemble

Over the course of their great friendship, Palestinian author and scholar Edward Said and Israeli conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim realized the urgent need for an alternative way to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This idea evolved into the West-Eastern Divan, a group comprised of Arab and Israeli musicians, playing the treasures of classical music while defying fierce political divides in the Middle East and globally. The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble is the most recent imprint of this project and brings the highly praised artistry of the large orchestra into an intimate chamber music format. As the orchestra celebrates its 20th anniversary, Michael Barenboim leads this ensemble to spread the ideas behind the West Eastern Divan Orchestra even further and to give the public an opportunity to experience the musicians’ unique artistry and personality up close.