Michael Barenboim
“The moment you create a beautiful sound, it’s worth every effort.”
This sentence perfectly reflects the artistic vision of Michael Barenboim, one of the most versatile violinists and violists of his generation.
Soloist, chamber musician, ensemble founder, concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and professor at the Barenboim-Said Akademie, he combines technical mastery, intellectual curiosity, and interpretive freedom.
After his breakthrough in 2011 performing Schönberg’s Violin Concerto under Pierre Boulez, Barenboim has appeared with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Dudamel, and Daniel Barenboim, and with major orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, La Scala Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra London, Tonhalle Zürich, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
He is a regular guest at leading venues worldwide, such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Sydney Opera House, and the Lucerne Festival, known for his imaginative programs that blend classical masterpieces with twentieth-century and contemporary works.
In the 2025/26 season, Barenboim will appear as soloist with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, the Armenian Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Zagreb Philharmonic, among others.
A passionate chamber musician, he founded the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble, which has toured successfully throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
His recordings for Accentus and Deutsche Grammophon include works by Bach, Bartók, Boulez, Berio, Beethoven, and Mozart. More recently, he has released Elgar’s Violin Concerto and Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words (with Natalia Pegarkova-Barenboim) on Linn Records.
At the Barenboim-Said Akademie, where he serves as Professor of Violin and Chamber Music, Barenboim promotes an education that unites musical excellence with a broad humanistic perspective.