Limelight“…this is a violinist that this reviewer believes is destined to rank alongside the likes of Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman. His gorgeous, burnished tone is supported by a seemingly effortless bowing arm, spot-on fingering and an intelligent instinct for nuance. Like both of those musical giants he is unfussy, eschewing effects and mannerisms for the clarity of the musical message, and he brings to bear an understanding and expressive depth to his material.”
Chicago Classical Review“Not only was Barenboim up to the extraordinary technical challenges of the work, but its musical challenges as well. Double stops at the extreme edges of the violin’s range were brought off with remarkable transparency and always with a robust sound, no small feat. His harmonics were beautifully rendered, his pizzicato delivered with pizzazz and verve. His bow would produce a poignant and introspective tone as well as a full and muscularly vibrato, wherever the music allowed his wide dynamic palette.”
Palm Beach Post“Michael Barenboim returned after the intermission to perform the “Devil’s Trill Sonata” for solo violin, by Giuseppe Tartini, an 18th-century composer. The audience was clearly divided on whether to clap between movements. The Larghetto affectuoso was very bright and cheery for a piece with such a title, with trills that paralleled Vivaldi. The Sogni dellautore. Andante, allegro assai was the most “devilish,” as Barenboim sliced his way to the ending, and a standing ovation.”
Gramophone“Add Barenboim being on fire himself, technically and interpretationally, and it all adds up to a fantastically engaging listen.”
Violinist.com“A solid presence, efficient and effective in his movements, he produced a beautiful and pristine line of sound, varied in its color and nuance. With everything so well in hand, one could simply relax and enjoy the heights…In sum, Barenboim was the whole package, and I’ll be happy to see his solo career grow, as it certainly will, in the future.”
“The moment you create a beautiful sound, it’s worth every effort.” This sentence by Michael Barenboim sums up his artistic path so far. Born in 1985, he is a soloist and chamber musician on violin and viola, ensemble founder, concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and professor and dean at the Barenboim-Said Academy. Barenboim’s versatility and creativity are at the forefront of his work.
Since his breakthrough as a soloist in 2011, performing Schönberg’s Violin Concerto under the baton of Pierre Boulez, Michael Barenboim has established himself as a prominent figure on the international concert scene. He has since collaborated with esteemed orchestras and conductors, including the Vienna Philharmonic under Daniel Barenboim, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Asher Fisch, the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, the Berlin Philharmonic under Vasily Petrenko, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Filarmonica della Scala, Philharmonia Orchestra London, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Orchestre de Paris, and the Spanish National Orchestra.
Barenboim is a frequent performer at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. He has given solo recitals at Wigmore Hall in London, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Sydney Opera House, the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, and the Lucerne Festival. His performances of works by Pierre Boulez have taken him to venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Barbican Centre in London, the Opéra national de Paris, and the Salzburg Festival.
In the 2024/25 season, Barenboim will appear as a soloist with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Domingo Hindoyan, the Frankfurt Museum Orchestra under Thomas Guggeis, the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra under Simon Gaudenz, the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn under Risto Joost, the Orquesta Fundación Barenboim-Said under Oksana Lyniv, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra under Wilson Hermanto, and the Armenian Symphony Orchestra under Sergey Smbatyan. He will also return to the Verbier Festival as a viola soloist in Strauss’ Don Quixote under Lahav Shani, alongside cellist Alisa Weilerstein.
Chamber music has been a major part of Michael Barenboim’s concert activities which led him to create the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble at the beginning of 2020. The ensemble, which features selected members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under his direction, has already undertaken highly successful tours of Asia, North America and Europe. Michael Barenboim also recently founded Nasmé (نسمة, meaning “breeze”), an ensemble of Palestinian musicians dedicated to showcasing Palestinian artists and highlighting their creativity and talent.
Michael Barenboim firmly believes that musical challenges exist everywhere, and mastering them offers fresh perspectives on both familiar and unfamiliar works. This conviction drives his deep engagement with contemporary music. The interpretation of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire plays a central role in his work, both as a soloist with orchestras—performing works by Widmann, Dutilleux, and Ligeti—and in chamber music. He has also premiered numerous new compositions, including works by Jörg Widmann, Kareem Roustom, Matthias Pintscher, and others.
Barenboim’s musical explorations are not limited to contemporary music. He is passionate about keeping his artistic spirit alive by performing works from a wide range of historical periods. His commitment to musical diversity is reflected in both his concert programming and his recordings. His recent albums on Accentus feature works by Bach, Bartók, Boulez, Tartini, Berio, Paganini, and Sciarrino. Between 2018 and 2020, Deutsche Grammophon released his recordings of Mozart’s piano quartets and trios, as well as the complete Beethoven piano trios, in collaboration with Kian Soltani and Daniel Barenboim.
In September 2023, Barenboim released a recording on Linn Records of Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Alessandro Crudele. This was followed in spring 2024 by Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, in Ferdinand David’s arrangement, recorded with pianist Natalia Pegarkova-Barenboim, also on Linn Records.
As a professor of violin and ensemble playing at the Barenboim-Said Academy, Michael Barenboim not only works to impart perfect instrumental technique, he also considers the universal education of his students in various humanistic fields to be a vital part of their education. He has been Chair of the Academy’s chamber music department and in 2020 he was elected Dean of the Academy, a post he held until February 2024.
2024-2025
10.05.23
