Monday (11/19) in a WQXR blog post, Brian Wise writes, “Daniel Barenboim has united Arab and Israeli musicians through his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, an ensemble he co-founded in 1999 with the late Palestinian literary scholar, Edward Said. Now he intends to expand the concept into higher education. The Israeli-Argentine conductor and pianist has announced plans for a conservatory in Berlin geared towards musicians from the Middle East. The academy will comprise training in music, social sciences and international politics, and will be housed in a former warehouse for the Berlin State Opera, where Barenboim is artistic director. About 80 students are expected to attend the Barenboim-Said Academy of Orchestral Studies, all on full scholarships. It is due to open in 2015. … In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Barenboim said the school’s curriculum will be apolitical, even with the inclusion of political subject matter. ‘We’re not involved in political negotiations,’ he said. ‘We must simply try to understand and appreciate one another.’ ”
Posted November 20, 2012
