The West-Eastern Divan Institute Berlin
In 1999, Daniel Barenboim and the late Palestinian literary scholar Edward Said created a workshop for young musicians named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s collection of poems entitled “West-Eastern Divan”, a central work for the evolution of the concept of world culture. Equal numbers of Israeli and Arab musicians form the base of the orchestra, together with a group of Spanish members. They meet each summer in Seville for a workshop, where rehearsals are complemented by lectures and discussions. The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has proved time and again that music can break down barriers previously considered insurmountable. The only political aspect of its work is the conviction that there will never be a military solution to the Middle East conflict, and that the destinies of Israelis and Palestinians are inextricably linked.
Over the years, the orchestra’s reputation for its artistic as well as for its humanitarian mission has grown to the point where it is a regular guest at the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. Many projects in the fields of music, education and international understanding have also sprung up around the orchestra, mostly in Israel and Palestine. After eleven years of highly successful and financially sustainable work, the time has come to take the idea of the WEDO to a new level as a permanent, year-round institution.
