The great Israeli-Argentinian pianist and conductor, now 80, will officially step down on January 31. He had directed the Berlin State Opera for three decades.
The legendary pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, suffering from a neurological disease, announced Friday his resignation for health reasons from the Staatsoper of Berlin.
“Unfortunately, my health has deteriorated markedly over the past year. I can no longer provide the services that are rightly demanded of a musical director., explains in a press release the Israeli-Argentine maestro, specifying that he will cease this activity on January 31. Daniel Barenboim had announced last October to be suffering from a “serious neurological disease”.
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Aged 80, this exceptional musician is one of the greatest virtuosos of the 20th century, had already had to take a long break in 2022 and give up several commitments. He had returned to the pulpit to conduct Beethoven’s 9th symphony, during two New Year’s concerts, on December 31 and January 1, in a packed Staatsoper which had given him an ovation.
He had directed the Berlin State Opera and its orchestra, the Staatskapelle, for three decades. His contract ran until 2027.”Over the years we have become a musical family and we will remain so.“, estimates the conductor in his press release, expressing his”admiration for the singers, the members of the choir and all the other collaborators of the National Opera“. Then he clarified:It goes without saying that I will remain, as long as I live, very closely linked to music and that I am ready to continue to conduct, also and especially with the Staatskapelle Berlin“.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 15, 1942, Daniel Barenboim made his international debut as a pianist at the age of 10, before becoming a leading conductor. In particular, he created a foundation and an orchestra to promote cooperation between young musicians from Israel and Arab countries.
The 9th symphonyby Beethoven performed under the direction of Daniel Barenboim in 2006 in Berlin