Projects

Since 1999, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has developed into an internationally renowned ensemble that is at home at the most prestigious concert halls and festivals. An equal number of Israeli, Arab musicians form the base of the orchestra, together with a group of Turkish, Iranian, and Spanish members. The orchestra represents an alternative model to the current situation in the Middle East, proving time and again how music can build bridges and break down barriers previously considered insurmountable. In this spirit, the musicians meet at least once a year for a workshop, where rehearsals are complemented by lectures and discussions.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon designated the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra a UN Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding in February 2016.

The orchestra has shared the stage with internationally acclaimed soloists, including Martha Argerich, Waltraud Meier, Yo-Yo Ma and Anne-Sophie Mutter, who have been named honorary members of the orchestra.

The ensemble, which grew out of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, brings the orchestra’s musical excellence as well as the spirit of the entire orchestra to an intimate chamber music format. Founded to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 2019, the ensemble aims to further spread the orchestra’s vision and offer audiences the opportunity to experience first-hand the outstanding individual artistic achievements of its musicians.

The state-recognised Barenboim–Said Akademie’s central idea is expressed in a spirit of inclusion and diversity: through playing music and listening to each other, students learn to accept differences, to engage in discussion with an open mind and an open heart. Regular teaching activities for up to 90 students began in the autumn of 2016. The Barenboim–Said Akademie offers a Bachelor of Music, a Master of Music, a Preparatory Programme, and an Artist Diploma Programme. In addition to music theory and performance, each programme includes a curriculum in the Humanities.

Designed by architect Frank Gehry and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, the Pierre Boulez Saal opened in March 2017. It is part of the Barenboim–Said Akademie and housed in a former set storage building of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. An ellipse-shaped, modular space in which sound and architecture blend in a unique way, the hall offers almost unlimited possibilities to experience music—from solo works to a wide range of chamber music to orchestral repertoire, from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras to 20th-century classics and world premieres

Through a variety of musical offerings, the organisation Barenboim–Said for Music (BSFM) in Palestine encourages and educates young Palestinians with the goal of developing their artistic talents. The Barenboim–Said Center for Music operates in the heart of Ramallah, where its music conservatory and the Palestinian youth orchestra, the Filasteen Young Musicians Orchestra, have found a home.

The Musik­kindergarten Berlin was founded on the initiative of Daniel Barenboim together with the musicians of the Staatskapelle Berlin. Its activities place special emphasis on conveying musical abilities to children, in addition to providing them with a grounded, creative, holistic, varied, and aesthetically stimulating environment in their early years.

The musical dimension of the kindergarten includes not only giving youngsters a chance to come into contact with a wide range of musical instruments but also teaching them in a playful way to develop a feeling for rhythm, to learn the art of listening, and to develop motor skills through dance and creative movement.

The idea of the Musical School has existed as a pilot project since 2018 at the Berlin Cosmopolitan School, founded in 2004. As an internationally oriented school in which the musical education of over 820 students of 54 different nationalities is centrally anchored, the school has become an important partner for the Daniel Barenboim Stiftung.

The school integrates instrumental lessons into the daily curriculum. This pioneering approach shows how music can become a vital part of education and children’s personal and social development. In 2025, the school received the German School Award (Deutscher Schulpreis) presented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Photo Credit: Manuel Vaca / Peter Adamik / Volker Kreidler / Monika Rittershaus / Barenboim-Said for Music Ramallah