Culture
He was there: 83-year-old conductor Daniel Barenboim, frail and trembling, but present
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On September 22, 2026, 83-year-old conductor Daniel Barenboim led the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw despite his fragile health. The Argentine-Israeli pianist, who co-founded the orchestra in 1999 to foster dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian youth, recently stepped down from his role at Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden due to illness. The ensemble has publicly condemned the war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with Barenboim criticizing Israel’s actions as cruel and deserving of widespread condemnation. The concert featured works by Schubert, Wagner, and Schumann, drawing applause from an audience aware this may be one of his final performances in the city.
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