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Clemency Burton-Hill charts the West-Eastern Divan Project’s remarkable achievements and developments around the world in recent years.

The Divan Orchestra has had great success over the years with appearances at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms, the Salzburg and Lucerne Festival, the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

The Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin was opened in 2016 offering musical training and a grounding in the humanities. This building includes the Pierre Boulez Saal a concert hall specially designed by architect Frank Gehry.

The Barenboim-Said Center for Music in Ramallah was established in 2012, committed to integrating classical music within the Palestinian community and to strengthening public appreciation of the arts and music through concerts and public events.

And Michael Barenboim formed the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble to mark the orchestra’s 20th anniversary in 2019.

The West-Eastern Divan is an orchestra where Arabs and Israeli young musicians play alongside each other. It was the brainchild of Daniel Barenboim – an Argentinian musician born to Russian, Jewish parents. And Edward Said - a Palestinian, American academic and political activist.

Including interviews with Daniel Barenboim, Mariam Said, Michael Barenboim, biographer Elena Cheah, the Divan’s General Manager Tabaré Perlas.

Clemmie spent several summers touring in the violin section of the Divan. In January 2020, she suffered a brain haemorrhage and this is her first radio series since her recovery.

All the orchestral music is performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

R. Strauss - Don Quixote
Boulez - Memoriale
Fauré - Violin Sonata No 1 (1st Mvt)
Schoenberg - Variations Op 31
R. Strauss - Don Quixote

Assistant producer: Rosa Gollan
Producer: Rosie Boulton
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