Israeli-Argentinian pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim announced Thursday that he suffers from Parkinson’s disease. The 82-year-old resigned from the Berlin State Opera in 2023 but said he hopes to continue conducting the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra when his health allows.
Barenboim has faced health issues for years. Two years ago, he stepped down as the Berlin State Opera’s general music director and in 2022 revealed he had been diagnosed with a “serious neurological condition,” prompting a break from performances. Despite his condition, he occasionally conducted, most recently in London and later in November 2024 at the Royal Festival Hall.
“I know many are concerned about my health and I am very touched by the support I have received over the past three years. I would like to share today that I have Parkinson's Disease,” he said in a statement. “I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as possible. If I am unable to perform, it is because my health does not allow me to."
“As always, I continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows,” he added. “The Divan has the opportunity of working with other excellent conductors going forward".
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Born in Argentina to Jewish parents in 1942, Barenboim gained recognition as a pianist before moving to Israel as a teenager and becoming a leading conductor. In 1992, he became the Berlin State Opera’s musical director and, in 1999, co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Edward Said to foster collaboration between young musicians from Israel and Arab countries.
In 2011, he received an honorary knighthood for his efforts to promote Middle East reconciliation through music. In addition to Israeli citizenship, he was granted honorary Palestinian citizenship in 2008.
In 1967, he married British cellist Jacqueline du Pre in Jerusalem. After her death, he wed Russian pianist Elena Bashkirova.