An Orchestra Beyond Borders: Voices of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

The untold story of the West-Eastern Divan, an orchestra reaching across the Israeli-Arab divide. Bringing together young musicians from Palestine, Israel and other countries of the Middle East, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is both one of the most acclaimed youth orchestras in the world and a powerful ray of hope in a war-torn region. Founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said in 1999, it aims to promote Arab-Israeli understanding through music. In An Orchestra Beyond Borders, Elena Che... (show more)

The untold story of the West-Eastern Divan, an orchestra reaching across the Israeli-Arab divide. Bringing together young musicians from Palestine, Israel and other countries of the Middle East, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is both one of the most acclaimed youth orchestras in the world and a powerful ray of hope in a war-torn region. Founded by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said in 1999, it aims to promote Arab-Israeli understanding through music. In An Orchestra Beyond Borders, Elena Cheah, a professional musician and assistant to Daniel Barenboim, explores the orchestra’s journey through the remarkable stories of its members. Through the prism of the orchestra, these youthful testimonies are a window into the life of the region. Together, they express the musicians’ ambitions and hopes, their varied and conflicting views on life and politics, and above all the orchestra’s transformative ability to create an atmosphere of musical cooperation across political lines. . (show less)