Conductor Daniel Barenboim Returns to the Podium 

After a two-year absence from the stage due to ill health, Barenboim recently performed at London’s BBC Proms  

Daniel Barenboim recently returned to the stage to perform with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Prom 31 at London’s BBC Proms in Royal Albert Hall. 

In 2022, the 81-year-old had publicly announced his stepping back from performance and conducting engagements for the coming months, after being diagnosed with a serious medical condition. 

“My health has deteriorated over the last months, and I have been diagnosed with a serious neurological condition,” Barenboim wrote at the time. “I must now focus on my physical well-being as much as possible.”

In what has been described as an “unforgettable and heroic return” by The Guardian, Barenboim’s Prom 31 concert saw him conduct the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major “Great,” and Brahms’ Violin Concerto featuring soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and Barenboim last performed at the BBC Proms five years ago. Their latest concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. 

“[Barenboim’s] conducting grew more animated and the playing had the requisite grandeur,” reviewed Martin Kettle in The Guardian. “The result was Schubert’s extraordinary symphony as it ought to be heard but rarely is. It was already an unforgettable evening. This performance alone made it a great one.”

Barenboim has been the general music director at the Berlin State Opera since 1992, among other directorships. Alongside Edward Said, he is the co-founder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which promotes friendship and collegiality between Israel and the Arab nations.