The unifying power of music

The entrance area of the Barenboim-Said Academy in the German capital Berlin is a bright, open space. The foyer serves as a lounge and meeting area for students during the day and is transformed into a concert foyer in the evening. This is where students sit together, talking loudly and laughing. The moment you enter the building, you get the sense that togetherness is at the centre of everything that happens here. No one is to feel excluded.

In 1999 Daniel Barenboim established the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with his friend Edward Said, a literary scholar who died in 2003. Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor Barenboim is known for his interpretations of classical music, but also for his commitment to intercultural dialogue through music. The idea of the orchestra is to bring people from hostile countries together and improve understanding between them through music-making. In 2016, this vision led to the establishment of the Academy, which provides young Arabs and Israelis with the opportunity to undergo training in Western classical music. It also promotes young talent for the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Daniel Barenboim’s guiding principle: “Education through music”.

For this reason, the Academy not only offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in orchestral instrument performance, piano and composition, but also enables students to take courses in the humanities, philosophy, history and literature. The aim here is to teach the foundations of these subjects and hone students’ intellectual skills while at the same time providing space for encounters and dialogue between people of differing national, religious and cultural backgrounds.

“Thank God we still have the music”

“Since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, we have engaged in even closer dialogue with the students,” explains Academy Principal Regula Rapp. She meets regularly with the Student Union to discuss students’ problems and needs. Individual counselling and therapy options are also offered. “Of course there were some students who needed time and stayed away at first. Others came to class regularly since they were grateful to be able to immerse themselves in something else,” reports Rapp. In recent months the Principal has realised just how important the power of music is: “One student from Israel said to me: ‘Thank God we still have the music’. In the midst of trauma, music can offer us some hope.”

Friendships across all borders

Students who are not from the war region are also of particular importance during these difficult times, says Rapp. “Everyone supports each other, there’s a lot of compassion. And they give each other strength. The friendships that develop here transcend borders,” says Rapp. At the Barenboim-Said Academy, each individual is seen as a human being and a fellow musician, and peaceful understanding is encouraged.

The aim is for students to be able to study and make music together in a protected environment. From the very beginning, Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said promoted a lively culture of discussion in the orchestra. Differences and the expression of adverse opinions are not only permitted, they are encouraged. So in the current situation, too, the Academy is a place where Israelis and Palestinians can talk to each other and exchange ideas. Michael Barenboim, son of the founder and Dean of the Academy, is aware that this is quite unique: “The permanent conflict in the Middle East is the reason why the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Academy exist. We have a particular responsibility towards our students. Everyone is to feel at home here – and that takes hard work to maintain.”

A place of encounter and dialogue in times of crisis

In order to ensure the safety of students in the current situation, bag checks have been introduced before larger concerts, for example. Nonetheless, the aim is to maintain the open character of the Academy as far as possible. “We want to remain a place of encounter and co-existence – that’s our underlying vision,” explains Michael Barenboim.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Barenboim-Said Academy show that understanding and cooperation are possible, even though it takes hard work. “This offers hope in times when there is a lot of hopelessness,” says Principal Regula Rapp.