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Celebrated conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim has shared that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The lauded musician and collaborator took to Instagram to share his diagnosis. In a short statement, Barenboim said, “I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care.
Barenboim, 82, has been affected by what he has previously described as a “serious neurological condition” for a few years, which caused him to resign as the general music director of the Staatsoper Under den Linden in Berlin back in 2023 after over three decades of leadership.
“I have been very touched by the support I have received over the last three years,” Barenboim’s statement reads.
Going forward, Barenboim says that his greatest priority will be the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, an ensemble that unites Israeli and Arab musicians together which he founded in 1999. His statement says that he will continue to conduct the orchestra as his health permits, and will also look to find substitute conductors for future engagements.
The Argentine-Israeli maestro is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a recipient of France’s Legion of Honour as a Commander, Grand Officier and Grand Cross, Germany’s Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, and an honourary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was also the first person in the world to hold simultaneous Israeli and Palestinian citizenship.