Celebrated conductor Daniel Barenboim reveals Parkinson's diagnosis
Star classical conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim publicly revealed on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Barenboim, a renowned Berlin-based musician, has been unable to perform for some time due to illness.
"I would like to announce today that I have Parkinson's disease," Barenboim, 82, wrote in a personal statement. "I know that many people have been concerned about my health and I am touched by the support I have received over the past three years."
Parkinson's is a nerve-related movement disorder that mainly affects older people. Looking to the future, Barenboim said he plans to maintain as many of his professional commitments as possible.
Barenboim was born in Argentina, grew up partly in Israel and as a young prodigy also trained in Austria and France.
He is the long-serving general music director of the Berlin State Opera, where he leads the opera's resident Staatskapelle orchestra. He has been credited with building the orchestra's international reputation under his direction.
He handed over the musical direction of the Berlin State Opera at the beginning of 2023 due to ill health to his successor, Christian Thielemann.
"If I am not able to perform, it is because my health does not allow me to," he wrote in his statement.
He said he has come to terms with his new reality and is concentrating on receiving the best possible treatment.
The pianist is also known for his extensive recordings, guest appearances with major orchestras around the world, and co-founding the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, an ensemble made up of young musicians from Israel and Arab countries.
Barenboim said he considers the orchestra to be his "most important responsibility" and that its "long-term stability and development" remains a priority.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Safe and sound: Orange County's oldest music store reopens in Laguna
Wave Baker, a longtime employee of Sound Spectrum, will tell anyone who listens that the place has 'an energy of its own.' So when the Laguna Beach-based record shop, which opened on South Coast Highway in 1967, closed in October, Baker had a feeling it wasn't over. Whether it was more than a feeling, what happened next was more than he hoped for. A music-oriented family came forward with a bid, planning to revive the business and restore the building. James, Audrey and Sadie Jean Wilcox, siblings who grew up in the nearby city of Tustin, worked together to reopen Orange County's oldest music store. After spending more than two decades working under the original owners, Jimmy and Edith Otto, Baker was asked to remain on staff. 'In a sense, I'm a bridge from the old to the new,' Baker said. 'I met with them, and we got along, and they wanted my help. I said, 'Well, I come with one condition — my left and my right arm. Travis [Garman] and Niloo [Aghaseyedali] were part of the old, and now we're all three part of the new.' James, 28, recalled visiting Sound Spectrum during surfing trips to Laguna Beach. In December, when he learned the iconic record store had closed, he called Wave. Within a week, the family had submitted an offer that was accepted. 'At the end of the day, a record store sells music,' James said. 'The special thing about this store is that it has sold music for so many decades. It sold music through the vinyl era, through the cassette era, through the CD era, and then all the way back again. 'In my opinion, the special part about this store is that it's past trends. It doesn't need to sell off of these trends. It can just keep selling music that touches people's hearts.' As for the responsibility that goes with inheriting a legacy of 57 years of service to the community, James said that Jimmy Otto created a business that could stand on its own. 'Jimmy was very much someone who could stand on his own, and he made his store stand on its own,' he added. 'We hope to keep that same energy, really forever. We believe that this store is so sacred and special. The special thing about music is that it does last forever.' James also called it a 'special moment' to have the keys to Sound Spectrum passed on to his family by Edith Otto, who also gave them a tour of the store. Audrey, 30, who is due to be married this year, compared the commitment to preserve a community staple to a wedding. 'There's like this union,' Audrey said. 'I have this connection with the former owner. … I feel like the Sound Spectrum itself is like a being of its own. I feel less that I'm the one that's deciding what happens to it and more that I'm listening to what it needs, being more like a steward to what the store wants, listening to that and making it happen. That's been my biggest source of inspiration is just what … everyone needs.' The Wilcox family's music industry experience has been driven by a burgeoning career for Sadie Jean, 23, as a singer-songwriter. James and Audrey, both of whom have business backgrounds, have helped manage her career. She has nearly two dozen shows lined up in Europe this fall, and she's preparing to release her first album later this year. Sadie Jean revealed she has been writing songs from a young age, but she was unsure if her family would embrace that side of her. 'It was so funny because once I told people I could sing and write songs, my family was like my biggest champions,' Sadie Jean said. 'Now they manage me, and my siblings manage me. My career became like a really big family thing, and my parents go on tour with me. All of a sudden, we're like a music family after being so like not at all. 'I think it just made so much sense when we found out that the record store in our community that we love was about to be gone forever. It felt so serendipitous. It was like a calling that we had to take it on and save it because music is built into our family culture now.' The return of the record store was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday evening, music pumping as people perused the aisles stocked with selections of vinyl, CDs and posters spanning the decades. Local artists also collaborate, leading restorative efforts at the store. Amanda Burke touched up a mural by Bill Ogden, and a display by Brighid Burnes in the front window depicts musicians jamming away on various instruments. 'I saw many fathers or mothers say to their kid, 'I bought my first record here in the '80s,' Baker said. 'I want that little kid to be able to say that to their kids 30 years from now, long after I'm gone. I know the importance of that feeling. … That's what I want to keep. That's part of what I want to help survive.'
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Other free courses colleges should offer now
Beth Wolfensberger Singer is a Boston-based artist. You can see more of her work at
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Hysterics at How Dachshund Reacts to Being Told 'No'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Florida-based dachshund has gained viral attention on Instagram for his over-the-top response to a simple word: "No." In a lighthearted video shared to the platform on May 4 under @moo_in_miami, the small dog named Moo was captured sitting on a couch, repeatedly whining and growling in a high-pitched, almost comical, tone after being told "no" by his unseen owner. The video, captioned "he really said, 'that's cute, try again,'" quickly ignited reactions online from pet owners who could relate to the bout of canine pushback, and has since been liked more than 1 million times. An overlaid text on the video read: "POV: [Point of view] You told your dachshund no." The dog's animated expressions and indignant vocalizations have struck a chord with viewers on Instagram, many of whom said they were left in hysterics by Moo's dramatic protest. Moo's particular reaction also highlights something deeper—and familiar—for anyone who has spent time with a dachshund: stubbornness seems to be part of the lovable breed's DNA. Bred in Germany centuries ago to hunt badgers, dachshunds were designed to be persistent and fearless. Their long bodies and short legs made them ideal for burrowing, but their real strength lies in their temperament. Dachshunds are notoriously determined and vocal, often pushing boundaries and asserting their will in surprisingly bold ways for their size. Moo's hilarious response to being told off is a textbook example of this temperament. While some dog breeds are known for obedience or calm demeanor, dachshunds have cultivated a reputation for being assertive, sometimes to the point of comedy. Owners often describe them as possessing the mindset of a much larger animal, unafraid to stand their ground—especially when they feel slighted. Commenters have shared their own dachshund tales, with one writing: "Dachshunds and the word NO do not compute." "I'm getting dachshund in 8 weeks can't wait," another viewer said, while another added: "Dachshunds will argue with you with such stubbornness until you give in because there's nothing is as stubborn in this world as a dachshund who wants something." "They run the house you know," another said. Newsweek reached out to @moo_in_miami for more information via Instagram. A stock image of a black and tan dachshund on a carpet. A stock image of a black and tan dachshund on a carpet. Getty Images Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
