West-Eastern Divan Ensemble (Hong Kong Debut)

Found of West-Eastern Divan Ensemble, Violin & Viola

Michael Barenboim’s 2011 performance of Schoenberg’s Violin Concerto with Pierre Boulez in the Cologne Philharmonie was the beginning of a remarkable career.

Following this celebrated debut, he has since performed the Schoenberg concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic under Daniel Barenboim, the Chicago Symphony under Asher Fisch, the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, and the Berlin Philharmonic under Vasily Petrenko. Barenboim regularly gives solo recitals in the world’s most prestigious concert halls, such as Wigmore Hall in London, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Sydney Opera House, and Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. He presented a programme with works by Pierre Boulez in Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Opéra National de Paris, the Barbican Centre in London, the Dortmund Konzerthaus, and the Salzburg Festival.

As a member of the Boulez Ensemble, Michael Barenboim has premiered numerous new works by composers such as Jörg Widmann, Kareem Rouston, and many others. He is a professor for violin and chamber music at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, and has since 2020 been the Academy’s Dean. In addition, he and seven other selected members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra founded the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble in 2020 and completed a 13-concert tour of the United States. Among his last solo performances before the pandemic lockdown were Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic under Robert Trevino and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel.

Michael Barenboim’s first solo album featured compositions by Bach and Bartók as well as Boulez’s Anthèmes 1 and 2. In 2018 there followed a CD recording with works by Tartini, Berio, Paganini, and Sciarrino. For Deutsche Grammophon, Barenboim has recorded the Mozart piano quartets and trios as well as the complete Beethoven piano trios, together with Kian Soltani and Daniel Barenboim.

The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble, led by the Orchestra’s concertmaster Michael Barenboim, draws upon players of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Founded in 1999, the Orchestra’s origins lie in the conversations between its creators, Edward W. Said and Daniel Barenboim. Over the course of their friendship, the Palestinian author-scholar and Israeli conductor-pianist discussed ideas on music, culture, and humanity. In their exchanges, they realised the urgent need for an alternative way to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The opportunity to do so came when Barenboim and Said initiated a workshop for young musicians using their experience as a model. This evolved into the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra that global audiences know today. The group is comprised of Arab and Israeli members, defying fierce political divides in the Middle East and globally. Through its work and existence, the orchestra demonstrates that bridges can be built to encourage people to listen to the narrative of the other.

The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble brings the highly praised artistry of the Orchestra into an intimate chamber music format. Founded in 2019 by Michael Barenboim to mark the orchestra’s 20th anniversary, the ensemble gives audiences an opportunity to experience the musicians’ unique artistry and personality up close. The group embarked on its first tour in early 2020, appearing at venues across the United States. In October and November 2022, the musicians were heard in Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Paris, Vienna, and Budapest performing a programme of works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Pierre Boulez, as well as a commission by French-Lebanese composer Benjamin Attahir. In February 2023, the ensemble returned to the United States where they played several concerts on the East and West Coast, including the 92Y and the United Nation Headquarters in New York City and Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.