Around the Music Festival

The Daniel Barenboim Foundation has announced the launch of a new music festival, the West-Eastern Divan Festival, in Berlin this September. In 2026, a total of ten concerts will be held from September 11 to 18 at venues including the Philharmonie and the Pierre Boulez Saal.

The centerpiece of the music festival is the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, led by Barenboim, joined by students from the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, the Barenboim-Said Foundation in Seville, Spain, and the Barenboim-Said Music Center in Ramallah, Palestine.

Artists such as pianist Lang Lang, oud player Naseer Shamma, flutist Emmanuel Pahud, and clarinetist David Krakauer will also participate. The program will be announced at a later date.

Barenboim is currently 83 years old. He had significantly curtailed his conducting activities since revealing in February of last year that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

However, as of August 10, he has been leading the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra on a summer tour (including performances at the Rheingau Music Festival, Waldbühne, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and Lucerne Festival).

Following the conclusion of the new music festival, a European tour is also planned, taking in Dortmund, El Escorial, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Hamburg, and Rolle.

PHOTO：West-Eastern Divan Orchestra