European Center for Arabic Music in Berlin
Berlin is to become the most important venue for music from the Orient in Europe. Daniel Barenboim wants to expand the academy he founded for his West Eastern Divan Orchestra.
How the German Cultural Information Center (KIZ) writesThe Pierre Boulez Saal next to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, which was built according to plans by architect Frank Gehry, is to become the heart of the center.
As a model for the meeting center, Barenboim is thinking "of the conference for Arabic music, in which European composers such as Béla Bártok and Paul Hindemith also took part in Cairo in 1932," writes the KIZ. In the coming season, musicians from the Middle East and Asia will perform alongside chamber music ensembles.
With its elliptical shape and flexible stage set-up, the new concert hall offers a wide range of design options and space for around 700 visitors. Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, known for his expertise, is responsible for the hall's acoustics. Both Frank Gehry and Yasuhisa Toyota have generously donated their work to the Barenboim-Said Academy and waived their fees.
