World-renowned Israeli pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim is Jill Pasternak's guest this week on Crossover. One of the most versatile pianists of his generation, Barenboim has collaborated with violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman, as well as his late wife, British cellist Jacqueline du Pr. In January 2008, his virtuosic musicianship was recognized with a Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, one of the most prestigious honors in classical music.
"Daniel Barenboim is one of the few musicians in the world today who could accurately be described as legendary."
--The New York Times
Born in Buenos Aires to parents of Russian Jewish descent, Daniel Barenboim has become one of the most prominent musicians in the world, touring regularly throughout Europe and the United States, as well as South America, Australia and the Far East. As a conductor, he has been in great demand with leading orchestras around the world, including the English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin State Opera) and Staatskapelle Berlin. In 2006, Barenboim was named principal guest conductor of the La Scala Opera House in Milan.
In addition to his extensive classic-romantic repertoire, Barenboim is a great advocate for contemporary music, and has performed and commissioned many new works. On December 11, 2008, Barenboim performs as soloist with James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a world premiere of a piece by Elliot Carter in the celebrations of Carter's 100th birthday at Carnegie Hall. Also with Levine, Barenboim will perform four-hand piano repertoire on programs with The MET Chamber Ensemble and Boston Symphony Orchestra this November. Barenboim will conduct Wagner's Tristan und Isolde at the Metropolitan Opera, and performs a solo piano recital on the Met's stage in December 2008. In January 2009, he will conduct the world famous New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
A passionate voice for peace in the Middle East, Barenboim has worked tirelessly to promote dialogue and artistic exchange between Israel and Palestine. Along with the Palestinian literary scholar Edward Said, he cofounded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which has brought together young musicians from Israel and Arab countries for the past decade. In 2005, the Orchestra presented an historic concert in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, which was broadcast on television and recorded for DVD. In 2001, Barenboim broke a decades-old Israeli taboo by conducting a piece by anti-Semitic composer Richard Wagner at the annual Israel Festival. His humanitarian efforts have garnered numerous awards including recognition as a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2007.
Barenboim's program on December 8th includes selections from Liszt's masterwork Annes de p lerinage ("Years of Pilgrimage") and L gendes, as well as Paraphrases on Operas of Guiseppe Verdi for Piano Forte. This concert is the second performance in the Master Musicians Recital Series scheduled for the Kimmel Center Presents 2008-09 season. The next concert in the series will be Hilary Hahn on violin with pianist Valentina Lisitsa on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 8 pm.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to evening curtain time and 11:30 am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
More Information:
- Daniel Barenboim's Official Website
- Ticket Information for Barenboim's Recital at Kimmel Center on December 8