Bethlehem- 4-8-2009- Ma’an - The 10th anniversary convert of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Geneva will be presented under the banner Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture 2009, and dedicated to the group’s co-founder Edward Said.
The concert will be held on 7 August, and music of artists from Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Spain will accompany readings of poems about Edward Said and Jerusalem by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani, performed by co-founder Michael Barenboim and Edwar’s son Karim Said.
Founded in 1999 by the acclaimed Israeli conductor and pianist Barenboim and the late Palestinian literary scholar Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra brings together musicians with the aim to perform music and promote reflection and understanding.
Since 2002 the workshop and orchestra is based in Seville and is funded by the regional government of Andalusia. The Barenboim-Said Foundation was established in 2004 and hosts various music education projects in Palestine and Israel.