The West-East Divan Orchestra, appointed in 2016 by the United Nations Secretary-General as the United Nations Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding, recently performed their first concert. at the United Nations headquarters in New York, during a special event organized to demonstrate that when people listen to each other, both musically and in other ways, great results can be achieved.
West-East Divan troupe performing at United Nations headquarters in February 2023
The West-East Divan Orchestra, conducted by conductor Michael Barenboim, attracts players of Arab and Israeli descent.
Formed in 1999, the orchestra’s origins stem from a conversation between its creators, Edward W. Said and Daniel Barenboim. Throughout their friendship, the Palestinian author-scholar and the Israeli conductor-pianist discussed ideas about music, culture, and humanity.
In their discussions, they recognized the urgent need for an alternative way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The opportunity to do so came when Barenboim and Said initiated a workshop for young musicians to use their experience as a model.
“We have musicians from countries that are in conflict with each other in one way or another. We have shown that by collaborating on a project like this one, it is possible to bring together people from countries in conflict so that they can work together towards a common goal,” said Michael Barenboim.
“I think that shows an alternative model and alternative way of thinking for the Middle East region. It is not based on weapons, bombs, war, blood and conflict, but on mutual understanding, dialogue and listening. When you play music, you play, but you also have to listen to others,” he added.
Mariam Said, the widow of Edward W. Said, is the vice president of the US-based Barenboim-Said Foundation.
Mariam Said explains: “Edward believes that humanity is the only thing by which we can withstand the disintegration of the world. And this is the message the orchestra is trying to send.”
“Teaching music as a language opens the mind, leading to the formation of new ideas in society. It also allows people to get to know each other,” she added.
Sindy Faisal Abdel Wahab from Egypt plays violin in the orchestra.
“I started playing with the West-East Divan Orchestra in 2013, and this was the first time I met musicians from other Arab countries and Israel. It was a surprise for me, and I was curious about how we would treat each other, how we would play together and understand each other,” he said, adding that “I developed It turns out that Israelis have a culture similar to ours, but politics is what separates people, when we play together, we forget everything.”
David Strongin, an Israeli, also plays the violin; he believes that the mission of the orchestra is for musicians from different backgrounds to play music together.
“Through music, one can do anything. You don’t need words, and you don’t need any text. You play together, you learn to listen to each other. And this really helps a lot in our lives as humans, because we learn to listen to each other.”
“I think it’s not easy to make music with strangers,” he adds, “because you have to put a lot of heart into what you do. But this orchestra is like a family and so it doesn’t really matter where we come from. We just love each other as humans.”
Speaking ahead of the concert Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Global Communications said: “When you look at a group of eight musicians playing together and they all read the same word. a piece of paper, they’ll introduce the harmonies, and they’re all equal. Some played the cello and some played the violin, but the resulting sound seemed to come from an instrument. Every one of them is equal, every note is equal.”
