Daniel Barenboim: A Life Fostering Peace through Music, Part 1 of 2

One of the greatest classical musicians of our time, Mr. Daniel Barenboim is an internationally celebrated pianist, conductor and humanist. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 15, 1942, Daniel Barenboim grew up in a family of Jewish Russian immigrants. Both of his parents were professional pianists, and his piano lessons with his mother started at the age of five. He later continued to study piano with his father, who remained his only other piano teacher. Ever since his debut performance as a piano soloist at the age of seven, he has been seen on many prestigious stages and has become especially revered for his interpretations of the works of Mozart, Beethoven and other classical and Romantic composers.

As a legendary conductor, he leads the world’s finest orchestras in a rich repertoire of work, including symphonies, chamber music and operas. Apart from his extraordinary artistic achievements, Mr. Barenboim is renowned for his courageous and earnest efforts to promote peace, open-mindedness and free dialogue through music. In 1999, he co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra to promote communication and unity among musicians from Israel and the Arab countries. His humanitarian efforts have earned him numerous distinctions, such as the Wolf Prize, Otto Hahn Peace Medal, International Service Award for the Global Defence of Human Rights, and Dresden Peace Prize. The United Nations also named him a Messenger of Peace in 2007, and he has been granted citizenship for both Israel and Palestine.