Daniel Barenboim

For 19 years, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has brought together young musicians from Israel and the Arab world, with the aim of promoting peace through dialogue and mutual understanding.

The Orchestra was founded in 1999 by renowned conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim, whose work is recognised by the UN, through his role as a Messenger of Peace.

Following a concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Maestro Barenboim visited Secretary-General António Guterres at UN HQ on Friday.

Israel and Palestine cannot live “back to back” but must find a way to coexist according to the UN Messenger of Peace and classical music conductor, Daniel Barenboim.

Mr Barenboim, whose West-Eastern Divan orchestra includes both Israeli and Palestinian musicians performed at the opening of the first ever World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey.

A ground-breaking orchestra which unites Israeli and Arab musicians “has learned to listen to the other” and play together as one, despite their cultural differences.

That’s the key lesson of the success of the West-East Divan Orchestra, according to its world-renowned conductor, and concert pianist, Daniel Barenboim.

He was speaking at a ceremony in which the unique orchestra he co-founded was designated a UN Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding.

Matthew Wells has the story.