Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra Awarded the 2020 Rheingau Musik Pries

The Rheingau Music Festival has announced that Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra have been awarded the 2020 recipients of the prestigious Rheingau Musik Pries.

Awarded to a “prominent performer, composer, musicologist or musical institution in recognition of their overall contribution to music,” the Prize has been naming laureates since 1994. Past recipients of the Prize include Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Christoph Eschenbach, and Fazıl Say.

Speaking on their decision, the Jury shared:

“Daniel Barenboim is not only one of the most renowned conductors and artistic personalities of our time, but also a great humanist, free thinker, and visionary of inestimable social value. The co-founding and artistic direction of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is testimony to an unparalleled commitment to peace and international understanding. With this extraordinary orchestra, not only can great musical moments be heard, but they can also make an invaluable contribution to cultural education and international integration. Especially in today’s socially challenging times, it is clear that such important personalities and projects are needed who, with vision, courage and intransigence, firmly believe in the power of art in general and the power of music in particular, and carry them into the world.”