Argentine-Israeli pianist and orchestra director Daniel Barenboim, who was forced to abandon many of his professional duties lately, said today that he has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Daniel Barenboom retired in January 2023 for health reasons from the Berlin Opera Management, which he led for 30 years. Three months earlier, he had announced that he was suffering from serious neurological disease.

Today, the maestro said that he “wants to maintain as many professional obligations as possible”, despite his health.

“Many people were worried about my health and I was very excited by the support I have received over the last three years,” 82 -year -old Argentinean maestro said in a statement.

A proponent of the Middle East peace dialogue, the maestro stresses that he considers his “most important obligation” to the West-Eastern Divan orchestra, which he founded in 1999 with Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, who has now died.

The musicians who make it come from the Middle East and make appearances around the world.

“It is important for me to ensure the long -term stability of the orchestra,” he said in his statement.

“I will continue to direct the West-Eastern Divan every time my health allows. At the same time, I will play an active role to ensure that Divan has the opportunity to work with excellent orchestra managers in the future. “

In addition to the West-Eastern Divan orchestra, Daniel Barenboom founded the Barenboim-Saïd Academy in Berlin in 2016 where young Israeli and Arabs are receiving high quality education in music, philosophy, history and literature. They often appear in concerts, sometimes under the direction of Daniel Barenboom.