Daniel Barenboim and Jon Snow join forces for discussion at SOAS
30 April 2012
Maestro Daniel Barenboim took part in a special conversation session with journalist and news presenter Jon Snow hosted by the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at SOAS on Saturday 21 April.
Founder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with the late Edward Said, Barenboim promotes mutual understanding and communication by bringing together young musicians from Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia and many more. This summer, Barenboim will lead the Orchestra at the Proms in London with a complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle culminating with the performance of the 9th Symphony on the opening night of the Olympics, 27 July.
Barenboim and Snow discussed the role of culture and the arts in a political and international context, focusing on the situation and recent developments in the Middle East.
Dr Hassan Hakimian, Director of the LMEI said: “SOAS was a fitting location for the discussion as a specialist institution in the study of the Middle East. The discussion was also very timely given recent developments in the region. It is all the more special for us as Maestro Barenboim holds an Honorary Doctorate from SOAS and Jon has also been a strong supporter of SOAS for many years.”
The event was hosted by the LMEI and supported by Universal Music.
Due to the popularity of the event, a podcast recording will be made available online in coming weeks at: www.soas.ac.uk/lmei/barenboim-snow/
