The Barenboim-Said Akademie amidst the war on Gaza | Stephan Balzer & Michael Barenboim | TEDxBerlin

Barenboim-Said Akademie

• The Barenboim-Said Akademie is a music conservatory based on the ideas of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
• The academy has students from the Middle East, including Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Jordan.
• In addition to music subjects, the academy also offers humanities courses such as philosophy, history, and literature.

Recent Assembly

• Students held an assembly to discuss regional tensions and take matters into their own hands.
• The speaker criticized Germany's criticism of Israel and its support for Israel at the International Court of Justice.
• The speaker emphasized the importance of seeing things as they are and not through the lens of historical guilt.

Bilal's Story

• Bilal, a former student and violinist from Syria, shared his story of learning the violin despite limited resources and political challenges.
• Bilal taught himself to play the violin by imitating Maxim Vengerov's performance on a DVD and watching videos from satellite TV channels.
• He later received a proper education at the First Academy in France and went on to study at the Paris Conservatory, where he became a student of Michael Barenboim.

Ancient Musical Notation

• Bilal explained the significance of a 3,400-year-old musical notation discovered in the ancient city of Ugarit in Syria, considered one of the oldest musical notations in the world.
• Bilal performed a piece based on this ancient musical notation, showcasing Syria's rich musical heritage.