Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Daniel Barenboim
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Daniel Barenboim made an impact.
Daniel Barenboim is an Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor, also holding Spanish and Palestinian citizenship. He served as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera and Staatskapellmeister of the Staatskapelle Berlin from 1992 to January 2023. Barenboim is renowned for his contributions to classical music and his efforts to promote peace through music.
August 1950: First Formal Concert
On 19 August 1950, at the age of seven, Daniel Barenboim gave his first formal concert in Buenos Aires.
1952: International Debut as Pianist
In 1952, Barenboim made his international debut as a pianist in Vienna and Rome at the age of 10.
1954: First Recording
Daniel Barenboim made his first recording in 1954, focusing on music of the classical era.
1957: Performed in New York
In 1957, Daniel Barenboim performed in New York under the baton of Leopold Stokowski.
1966: Conducting Debut
In 1966, Daniel Barenboim made his debut as a conductor with the English Chamber Orchestra in London's Abbey Road Studios.
1967: Performance for Israeli Troops during the Six-Day War
In 1967, at the start of the Six-Day War, Barenboim and Jacqueline du Pré performed for Israeli troops on the front lines, showing their support during the conflict.
1969: Filmed performance of Schubert "Trout" Quintet
In 1969, Christopher Nupen filmed Barenboim, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman, and Jacqueline du Pré performing the Schubert "Trout" Quintet.
1973: Opera Conducting Debut
In 1973, Barenboim made his opera conducting debut with a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Edinburgh Festival.
1973: Performance for Israeli Troops during Yom Kippur War
In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, Barenboim and Jacqueline du Pré performed for Israeli troops, demonstrating solidarity during wartime.
1975: Music Director of Orchestre de Paris
In 1975, Daniel Barenboim became the music director of the Orchestre de Paris.
1981: Bayreuth Debut
In 1981, Barenboim made his debut at Bayreuth, where he conducted regularly until 1999.
1988: Appointed Artistic and Musical Director of Opéra Bastille
In 1988, Barenboim was appointed artistic and musical director of the Opéra Bastille in Paris.
January 1989: Fired from Opéra Bastille
In January 1989, Barenboim was fired from his position at the Opéra Bastille by the opera's chairman, Pierre Bergé.
1989: Named Music Director Designate of Chicago Symphony Orchestra
In 1989, Daniel Barenboim was named music director designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
1989: End of tenure as Music Director of Orchestre de Paris
In 1989, Daniel Barenboim's tenure as music director of the Orchestre de Paris concluded.
1990: Conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
In 1990, Daniel Barenboim conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in its first appearance in Israel, excluding Wagner's works.
1990: Opéra Bastille Scheduled to Open
The Opéra Bastille was scheduled to open in 1990, after Barenboim was fired in January 1989.
1991: Succeeded Sir Georg Solti
In 1991, Daniel Barenboim succeeded Sir Georg Solti as the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
1992: General Music Director of Berlin State Opera
In 1992, Barenboim became the general music director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeister" of its orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin.
1999: Founding of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
In 1999, Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, bringing together young musicians from Israel, Palestine, and Arab countries to promote understanding and reflection.
1999: End of Bayreuth tenure
In 1999, Daniel Barenboim concluded his regular conducting engagements at Bayreuth.
1999: Performance at Bir Zeit University
In 1999, Daniel Barenboim performed at Bir Zeit University in the West Bank, marking one of his performances in the Palestinian territories.
2000: Conductor for Life of the Staatskapelle Berlin
In the autumn of 2000, Daniel Barenboim was made conductor for life of the Staatskapelle Berlin.
2002: Prince of Asturias Awards
In 2002, Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said jointly received the Prince of Asturias Awards for their work in promoting understanding between nations through the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
2005: Edward Said Memorial Lecture: "Wagner, Israel and Palestine"
In 2005, Daniel Barenboim delivered the inaugural Edward Said Memorial Lecture at Columbia University, entitled "Wagner, Israel and Palestine". In his speech, he urged Israel to acknowledge the Palestinian narrative, addressed the issue of anti-Semitism, and controversially linked Israeli actions to the rise of international anti-Semitism.
May 2006: Principal Guest Conductor of La Scala
In May 2006, Daniel Barenboim was named principal guest conductor of La Scala opera house in Milan.
June 2006: End of Tenure as Music Director of Chicago Symphony Orchestra
On 17 June 2006, Daniel Barenboim's tenure as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concluded.
November 2006: Nomination as New York Philharmonic's Music Director
In November 2006, Lorin Maazel submitted Barenboim's name as his nominee to succeed him as the New York Philharmonic's music director.
2006: New Year's Eve concert in Buenos Aires
Daniel Barenboim conducted the 2006 New Year's Eve concert in Buenos Aires, where tangos were played.
2006: BBC Reith Lectures and Charles Eliot Norton Lectures
In 2006, Daniel Barenboim presented the BBC Reith Lectures and gave the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University.
April 2007: Rejection of New York Philharmonic's Music Directorship
In April 2007, Daniel Barenboim reiterated his lack of interest in the New York Philharmonic's music directorship.
November 2008: Conducting Debut at the Metropolitan Opera
On 28 November 2008, Daniel Barenboim made his conducting debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
2009: Vienna New Year's Concert Debut
In 2009, Daniel Barenboim conducted the Vienna New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic for the first time.
2010: Conducting Wagner at La Scala
In 2010, prior to conducting Wagner's Die Walküre at La Scala, Daniel Barenboim argued that Wagner's perception was unfairly tainted by Hitler's admiration for him, advocating for a separation of Wagner's artistic merit from the Nazi association.
May 2011: "Orchestra for Gaza" Concert
In May 2011, Daniel Barenboim conducted the "Orchestra for Gaza" in Gaza City, composed of volunteers from major European orchestras. The concert, coordinated in secret with the UN, marked the first performance by an international classical ensemble in the Gaza Strip and aimed to support the Palestinian cause through non-violence.
2011: Music Director of La Scala
In 2011, Daniel Barenboim became the music director of La Scala.
July 2012: BBC Proms and Olympic Flag Carrier
In July 2012, Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra played a significant role at the BBC Proms, performing Beethoven's symphonies, coinciding with the London 2012 Olympic Games. He also carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony.
November 2014: Advocacy for Two-State Solution
In November 2014, Barenboim advocated for a two-state solution in The Guardian, asserting that Israel's long-term security depends on securing the future of the Palestinian people in their own sovereign state.
2014: Conducting the Vienna New Year's Concert
In 2014, Daniel Barenboim returned to conduct the Vienna New Year's Concert.
2014: Construction Begins on Barenboim–Said Academy
In 2014, construction began on the Barenboim–Said Academy in Berlin, a project developed with Edward Said.
2015: Unveiling of New Concert Grand Piano
In 2015, Daniel Barenboim unveiled a new concert grand piano designed by Chris Maene, featuring straight parallel strings.
December 2016: Opening of Barenboim–Said Academy
The Barenboim–Said Academy in Berlin opened its doors on 8 December 2016.
2017: Unveiling of Straight-Strung Piano
In 2017, Daniel Barenboim unveiled a new piano featuring straight-strung bass strings, inspired by Liszt's Érard piano. Developed with Chris Maene at Maene Piano, this innovation aimed to provide greater clarity and control over tonal quality.
2017: Release of "Daniel Barenboim – A Retrospective"
In 2017, Sony Classical issued a box set of Barenboim's orchestral recordings on 43 CDs and three DVDs titled "Daniel Barenboim – A Retrospective".
2017: Opening of the Pierre Boulez Saal
In 2017, the Pierre Boulez Saal opened as the public face of the Barenboim–Said Academy.
2019: Performance with Berlin Philharmonic on Straight-Strung Piano
In 2019, Daniel Barenboim performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra using the straight-strung piano that he had helped develop. This performance showcased the unique tonal qualities of the instrument.
2020: "Distance / Intimacy" digital festival
In 2020, Daniel Barenboim curated the digital festival of new music "Distance / Intimacy" with flautist Emmanuel Pahud in the Pierre Boulez Saal.
2022: Conducted the Vienna New Year's Concert
Daniel Barenboim conducted the Vienna New Year's Concert in 2022.
January 2023: Resignation as General Music Director of Berlin State Opera
In January 2023, Barenboim resigned from his position as General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera due to health reasons.
January 2023: Resignation as Generalmusikdirektor
On 6 January 2023, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden announced Barenboim's resignation as its Generalmusikdirektor, effective 31 January 2023, due to health reasons.
