Bringing together young musicians from Palestine, Israel and other countries of the Middle East, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is both one of the most acclaimed youth orchestras in the world and a rare note of hope in a war-torn region. Founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said in 1999, it aims to promote Arab-Israeli understanding through music. In An Orchestra Beyond Borders, Elena Cheah, a professional musician and assistant to Daniel Barenboim, explores the orchestra’s journey through the remarkable stories of the musicians that comprise it. These youthful testimonies are a window into the life of the region. Together, they communicate the musicians’ ambitions and hopes, their varied and conflicting views on life and politics, and above all the orchestra’s transformative ability to create an atmosphere of musical cooperation away from the implications and hardships of a world full of division and conflict.
Foreword Daniel Barenboim vii
Introduction 1
Daniel cohen 2
Intermezzo 33
Nabeel Abboud-Ashkar 35
Intermezzo 67
Sharon Cohen 69
Intermezzo 87
Nassib Al Ahmadieh 93
The Maestro at Work 113
Intermezzo 119
From the Trumpet section: yuval shapiro and Bassam Mussad 121
Intermezzo 139
Tyme Khleifi 143
Flying with the West-East Divan Orchestra 151
Alberto and pablo Martos 153
Intermezzo 163
Meirav Kadichevski 165
Intermezzo 185
Mohamed Saleh Ibrahim and fiends 193
Asaf Maoz 209
Intermezzo 219
Forty Days and nights in the Divan: Talib Zaki the Violinist 223
Intermezzo 229
Guy Braunstein 223
Intermezzo 239
Karim Said 241
Intermezzo 249
Yasmin of Palestine 251
All Roads Lead to Rome 263
Appendix: Edward said's speed upon acceptance of the Principle de Asturials prize 273
Appendix: Mariam said on her Involvement with the Barenboim-said Foundatin and the West-Eastern Divan orchestra 279
Overview
Bringing together young musicians from Palestine, Israel and other countries of the Middle East, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is both one of the most acclaimed youth orchestras in the world and a rare note of hope in a war-torn region. Founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said in 1999, it aims to promote Arab-Israeli understanding through music. In An Orchestra Beyond Borders, Elena Cheah, a professional musician and assistant to Daniel Barenboim, explores the orchestra’s journey through the remarkable ...