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The conductor Daniel Barenboim has revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease. The 82-year-old musician has been in failing health for some years, and in January 2023 resigned from his position as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera. Although increasingly frail, he has continued to make occasional appearances as a conductor, most recently in London with his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at the 2024 Proms and then at the Royal Festival Hall in November.
“I know that many people have been concerned about my health and I have been very touched by the support I have received over the last three years. I would like to share today that I have Parkinson’s disease,” he said in a statement released on Thursday. “Looking ahead, I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as possible. If I am unable to perform, it is because my health does not allow me to.”
“As ever, I consider the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra my most important responsibility. It is essential for me to ensure the orchestra’s long-term stability and development.
Barenboim, who was born in Argentina to Jewish parents, jointly founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999 with Palestinian-American academic Edward Said. Based in Seville, the orchestra consists of musicians from countries across the Spanish world and the Middle East – of Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, and Hispanic background.
The musician is a lifelong supporter of the two-state solution to the Israel Palestine conflict and a frequent critic of Israeli government policy.
“You can’t make peace with an orchestra,” Barenboim said in an interview in 2008, “but one can create the conditions for understanding and awaken the curiosity of each individual to listen to the narrative of the other. The Divan was conceived as a project against ignorance. It is absolutely essential for people to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with it.”
His statement continued: “I will continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows me to. At the same time, I will take an active role in ensuring that the Divan has the opportunity of working with other excellent conductors going forward.”
“I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care. I thank everyone for their kindness and well wishes.”
