Transcending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this musical ensemble plays a message of hope for the Middle East

Michael Barenboim, founder of the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble, has been giving more interviews than usual ever since the start of the current Israel-Gaza war on October 7. The ensemble, founded in 2019 as an iteration of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which was formed to unite musicians from Israel and Arab nations, is raising the volume of its message of hope given the recent escalation of violence. Speaking ahead of the ensemble’s Hong Kong debut this month, Barenboim vows to continue its efforts to promote tolerance, understanding and unity among people of different cultural and religious identities. “I have given a lot of interviews, but you can’t blame people for showing an interest,” says the violinist via video call from Berlin, Germany. ‘The one safe place for dialogue’: Sino-US cultural exchanges pick up “I am thrilled about all the interest because our projects are important and, at the moment, we are alone in this message … “This is not an easy time for members of our organisation but it has always been difficult because, of course, this conflict is older than October 7,” he says, the date when gunmen from the Palestinian group Hamas attacked towns, kibbutz and military bases in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages back to Gaza. “We are talking about something that, depending on who you ask, has lasted for a very long time.” The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was established in 1999 by Barenboim’s father, the Israeli conductor-pianist Daniel Barenboim, and the late Palestinian scholar Edward W. Said. The two friends founded the orchestra as an alternative way to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the aim to break down barriers by bringing together equal numbers of young Israeli and Arab musicians to play alongside each other in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation. In 2016, the orchestra was designated a United Nations Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding. The younger ensemble, offering a more intimate chamber-music format, is also about building bridges. The younger Barenboim insists that its goals are realistic. “I think a misunderstanding comes off that we are going to create peace in the Middle East by playing a Beethoven symphony. I don’t think anyone believes that and, for sure, I don’t believe that.” Like the orchestra, communication and respect lie at the ensemble’s foundation. “We believe in dialogue, in listening to each other, in cooperation – all these things that we stand for,” he says. “We go on stage with the message that an alternative model of thinking for the [Middle East] region is possible – one that is not based on military escalation but based on exactly these ideas.” Echoing his father’s philosophy, Barenboim says performing a piece of music brings people together. “This model is something we strongly believe in.” Barenboim is hoping his first visit to Hong Kong will be less hectic than recent performances in London and Berlin. “By complete coincidence, we played in two places on two very important days,” he says. “We played in London on November 11, which is the commemoration of the fallen soldiers of the First World War. On November 9 we were in Germany, also an extremely important date as it was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.” On November 22 and 23, the ensemble presents “West-Eastern Divan Ensemble (Hong Kong Debut) Concert, Prison Yard Festival: Music from within 2023”, comprising two diverse programmes, to coincide with the Tai Kwun Prison Yard Festival. The first night features numbers by American modernist composer Elliott Carter, his creativity showcased through works such as Figment IV (2007). Interspersed with Carter’s works are two chamber staples from the standard repertoire, including Fanny Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E-flat major (1834). The second night is an all-Schubert programme, featuring works which display influences from Beethoven, whom Schubert admired deeply. Hope is the overriding message. “Look at the news out of the Middle East and everything is depressing,” Barenboim says. “I think there is a thirst for something that gives hope to people.” West-Eastern Divan Ensemble (Hong Kong Debut) Concert, Prison Yard Festival: Music from within 2023, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong. 7pm-8.30pm. HK$380-HK$480. Tickets available on Urbtix.