In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra returns to Berlin’s Waldbühne on August 17, 2019, conducted by Daniel Barenboim. This unique ensemble, founded in 1999 by Maestro Barenboim and Edward W. Said, brings together young musicians from Israel, Palestine, and other countries of the Middle East. Over the course of two decades, it has not only become an internationally celebrated orchestra but an important symbol for the peaceful co-existence of different cultures.

The work of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra inspired the formation of the Barenboim-Said Akademie in 2015 and of the Pierre Boulez Saal, which opened two years later. The three institutions have since been united in their mission to let music be a messenger of humanism and transcultural understanding.

 But the 2019 Waldbühne Concert also marks another anniversary—serving as a prelude to the Beethoven Year 2020, in which the music world will celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday. The program, performed in a breathtaking outdoor setting, is entirely dedicated to the music of Beethoven: with the composer’s Violin Concerto, featuring Michael Barenboim as the soloist, and his Seventh Symphony.