West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

Encounter through Music:
Τhe Barenboim-Said Experiment in Utopia

Since its birth in 1999, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has embodied the vision of Daniel Barenboim and Edward W. Said to bring together young people from the Middle East and Israel through music, and to offer this music – the product of their unique encounter – to the world. Through many concerts around the globe, the orchestra has inspired audiences not only with its artistic accomplishments, but also as a resounding statement about humanity. Through its lived existence, it has established a profound musical ethos: a call to treat music not only as a form of aesthetic pleasure, but as a practice that can enhance our being as humans, our understanding of ourselves, and our relations to others. Music reminds us of what we can easily forget: it subverts dominant positions, leaves space for ambiguity, and celebrates a creative coexistence of apparently conflicting voices.

This humanistic conception of music is extended and deepened in the work of the Barenboim-Said Akademie, a music academy in Berlin (established in 2016) which, in addition to music, offers a liberal arts curriculum centered on philosophy, history, and literature. Young musicians, predominantly from the Middle East, are invited to inquire about their place in the world and to meet one another through academic pursuit. Our classes serve not only to expand our foundational musical ethos, but also to put it to the test. For, unlike the musical collaboration between the students, the verbal and conceptual discussions have no script, and quickly open up the intractable human issues at the heart of this audacious encounter: political and personal identities that clash, collective narratives in deep conflict, and a call to confront harsh realities and injustices at home and abroad. Does the cultivation of listening through musical practice prove conducive to a kind of dialogue that humanity is still lacking?

To discuss this question, we will bring together two of the leading figures behind the Orchestra and Akademie, joined by three musicians. The discussion will be followed by a performance of the clarinet quintet in A major by W. A. Mozart.

Mariam Said, Co-director of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and board member of the Barenboim-Said Akademie
Prof. Roni Mann, Director of Humanities at the Barenboim-Said Akademie
Jussef Eisa, clarinetist, member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
Semion Gavrikov, violinist, member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
Samir Obaido, violinist, alumnus of the Barenboim Said Akademie
Katrin Spiegel, violist, alumna of the Barenboim-Said Akademie
Sary Khalife, violoncellist, member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra