Barenboim-Said for Music

Barenboim-Said for Music Was established in 2003 by late Palestinian intellectual and scholar, Edward Said, and the renowned pianist and conductor,Daniel Barenboim.

The Barenboim-Said Foundation was established in 2003 by late Palestinian intellectual and scholar, Edward Said, and the renowned pianist and conductor,Daniel Barenboim.The founders believed that music enhances human life and, through the creation of the Foundation,they aimed to make classical music education accessible to Palestinian children and young adults. Through its activities at the Music Center in Ramallah,the Foundation targets Palestinian children and young adults regardless of their social or economic background and offersthe highest level of education. The foundation has a curriculum of eight years that aims to give the level to continue to classical music studies. The programs of Barenboim-Said Foundation in Ramallah are the following:
-Individual instrumental lessons in western classical music in violin, viola, cello, piano, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon and trumpet. All instrumental students attend weekly music theory and music history as well
-Early music education and music appreciation in schools
-Vocal training and choirs
-Youth orchestra and chamber music workshops
-Possibility to perform in the various concerts in the area organized by the foundation. The foundation has established its own “Young Talents” concert series in Ramallah
-Opportunities to participate in international music programs,summer camps and other exchange programs with young European musicians
In addition to these, the foundation has a music kindergarten for kids under school age and a music education project in the village of BeitReema. The Foundation seeks to enrich the cultural life in Palestine through the organization of concerts by renowned musicians from around the world,in addition to the concerts performed by its highly qualified team of teachers. Interim director, Simon Ibáñez

Project Coordinator: Nassri Lada

Financial manager , Rasha Ghanem

Teachers:

Simon Ibáñez, clarinet

Robin Burlton, theory and choir

Naseem Rimawi, violin

Adele Posani, flute

Gennady Kozhevnikov, brass

Hikmat Qaimari, oboe

Daniele Spada, cello

Boulos Qarraa, choral training

We are delighted to invite you to our first concert of the 2026/2027 academic year! 🎶Join us for a special Alumni Concer...
16/09/2026

We are delighted to invite you to our first concert of the 2026/2027 academic year! 🎶

Join us for a special Alumni Concert featuring BSCFM alumni and students.

📅 Saturday, 19 September 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Barenboim-Said Center for Music

We look forward to seeing you! 🎻🎹

يسرّنا دعوتكم لحضور أول عروضنا الموسيقية للعام الأكاديمي 2026/2027! 🎶

انضموا إلينا في حفل الخريجين بمشاركة خريجي وطلبة مركز بارنبويم-سعيد للموسيقى.

📅 السبت، 19 أيلول 2026
🕕 الساعة 6:00 مساءً
📍 مركز بارنبويم-سعيد للموسيقى

ننتظركم! 🎻

Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Fundación Barenboim-Said
Barenboim-Said Akademie

Join us tonight for a concert by ensembles of the Barenboim-Said Centre for Music.7pm, Palestinian Medical Relief Societ...
26/03/2026

Join us tonight for a concert by ensembles of the Barenboim-Said Centre for Music.
7pm, Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Al Balou Ramallah (opposite the Plaza Mall).
We have had a special week of rehearsals which will culminate in presenting to you music performed by three different ensembles plus the BSCfM choir. Come along to support the work of the students and staff. See you there…

Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Fundación Barenboim-Said
Barenboim-Said Akademie

As the winter months came to an end, we welcomed BSCfM alumnus Katia Abdel Kader to the center where she gave individual...
10/03/2026

As the winter months came to an end, we welcomed BSCfM alumnus Katia Abdel Kader to the center where she gave individual classes to our upper string students and the string ensemble. Katia is in her final year at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin where she studies viola and violin. It is wonderful for the students to see where their studies can take them with dedication to their craft, and to take on board some of the ever-growing knowledge of music which persistence and consistency brings. Thank you Katia for sharing that inspiration with the students in Ramallah.

As always, we thank the Junta de Andalucía for their ongoing and dedicated support of our educational project in Ramallah, and extend our gratitude to Auswärtiges Amt for all their support and encouragement of our musical activities and aims.
Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Fundación Barenboim-Said
Barenboim-Said Akademie

The start of the winter into spring semester and, we hope, a happy and productive year ahead for us all.Activities began...
04/02/2026

The start of the winter into spring semester and, we hope, a happy and productive year ahead for us all.

Activities began early in the year with additional flute classes given by Anna Girardi, who joined the students for an intensive couple of days before the semester proper began in January - different ears and eyes to check in on the students’ development.
We welcomed the German Representive Office from Ramallah who came to see how our project functions on a day-to-day basis and hear of our designs for future activities. We thank them for their continued engagement with, and support of, our work here. It is this kind of continued partnership that allows for the musical growth of all our students.
We also had our mid-year exams. This is a good opportunity to see the progression of every individual and to look at how best to structure the needs of each student so they can reach their potential in the long run. Bravi tutti.

We thank the Junta de Andalucía for their ongoing and dedicated support of our educational project in Ramallah, and extend our gratitude to Auswärtiges Amt for all their support and encouragement of our musical activities and aims.

Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Fundación Barenboim-Said
Barenboim-Said Akademie

The final few weeks of the year saw a host of activities at the BSCfM in Ramallah. It is a busy time in general for the ...
23/12/2025

The final few weeks of the year saw a host of activities at the BSCfM in Ramallah. It is a busy time in general for the students and the winter break is well deserved after the flurry of exertion.

- The centre was invited by UNWRA Spain to participate in a peer-to-peer exchange with musicians in Cáceres, Spain. The students had the opportunity to share their musical experiences and exchange thoughts on how cultural pursuits fit into and shape their day-to-day lives.
- We were delighted to have a visit from Barenboim-Said Akademie alumnus, bassist Fadwa Qamhia. She gave individual lessons to all string students and guided them through an ensemble rehearsal, sharing her knowledge and providing a picture of what is possible for our students through dedication to their musical craft.
- A small ensemble travelled to Bethlehem to perform Christmas carols with the choir from Talitha Kumi Educational Centre in Beit Jala. The venue in Manger Square, right next to the Church of the Nativity, provided an incredible setting in which to perform.
- The BSCfM choir gave their own Christmas concert for parents and students alike, celebrating this important time of year with seasonal songs.
- The final Young Talents concert of the year took place, showcasing the ongoing work of students (and teachers) on their journeys of musical discovery.
- Class concerts for flute, violin and cello also gave some of the younger students their earliest taste of public performance.

And lastly, we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas with the hope that the new year brings peace, prosperity and the ability to see in music a way of channelling the emotions we experience on a daily basis to create moments of reflection and beauty in these challenging times.

We thank the Junta de Andalucía for their ongoing support of our educational project in Ramallah, and extend our gratitude to Auswärtiges Amt for all their support and encouragement of our musical activities and aims.
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Akademie

Students from the Barenboim-Said Music Center Ramallah Jasmine Arar (piano) and Rand Nabulsi (cello) travelled to Berlin...
02/12/2025

Students from the Barenboim-Said Music Center Ramallah Jasmine Arar (piano) and Rand Nabulsi (cello) travelled to Berlin for a week of musical exchange - taking instrumental lessons, sitting in on classes, experiencing the life of the Barenboim-Said Akademie, and performing in a final concert to mark the week’s end.

Students from the Fundación Barenboim-Said Sevilla, Alicia Arriaza (cello) and Irene Arriaza (violin), also took part in the week’s activities. Current Akademie undergraduate Ibrahim AlSheikh (clarinet) and his duo partner Francisco Lucena Pais (piano) performed in the closing concert.

The week offered a glimpse of what dedication to music makes possible - the joy that grows from study, collaboration, and the chance to bring to life the works of composers across centuries.
We extend our thanks to Barenboim-Said Foundation USA, Fundación Barenboim-Said Sevilla, and the Barenboim-Said Akademie Berlin for their joint efforts in bringing everyone together for this experience.
Our gratitude also goes to the Junta de Andalucía for their support and continued belief in our educational work in Ramallah, and to the Auswärtiges Amt (German Foreign Office) for its ongoing support of all our musical activities.

Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Akademie
Fundación Barenboim-Said
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA

This week saw three consecutive days of activities for the students within the framework of this year’s Edward Said Days...
05/11/2025

This week saw three consecutive days of activities for the students within the framework of this year’s Edward Said Days.
On Saturday, insightful masterclasses were held for piano and string students with Aozora Deguchi (piano) and Emilio Yepes (strings). These sessions are an important part of the students’ learning, allowing them to gain a different perspective on their playing and approach to music making. They offer a fresh outlook on pieces being worked on and can provide a real impetus in imagining the music anew.
On Sunday, Aozora and Emilio gave a concert at the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in Al Bireh. A wide ranging programme was enjoyed and it was wonderful to listen to repertoire from an instrument we don’t often have the opportunity to hear solo. Some of our students shared the programme, offering solo works and a performance from the string ensemble.
On Monday, the students engaged with a performance/address broadcast from the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin. The central address was bookended by a performance of Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds. The players included BSfM alumni Ibrahim AlSheikh (clarinet) and Mohammad AlSheikh (piano).

We extend our thanks to Barenboim-Said Foundation USA for all their work towards the Edward Said Days, extend our gratitude to Auswärtiges Amt for their continued support of our activities and to the Junta de Andalucía for their dedicated support of our educational project here in Ramallah.
Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Barenboim-Said Akademie

This coming Sunday 2nd November at 6pm, a concert as part of this year’s edition of the Edward Said Days. We welcome Aoz...
31/10/2025

This coming Sunday 2nd November at 6pm, a concert as part of this year’s edition of the Edward Said Days. We welcome Aozora Deguchi (piano) and Emilio Yepes (double bass) to the Palestinian Medical Relief Society who will perform works by Bottesini, Henze and Koussevitsky amongst others. Alongside our visiting musicians, four of our students will also perform: Tala Rantisi (cello), Mariam Azzeh (flute), Evelina Nasrallah (piano) and Adam Arar (viola).

Aozora and Emilio will give masterclasses on their respective instruments to our students this Saturday too - a fantastic opportunity to learn from musicians of great experience within the profession.

This year’s Edward Said Days is a collaborative festival taking place in many different countries, showcasing the global reach and legacy of Edward Said himself. Lectures, concerts and masterclasses can be enjoyed in New York, Cairo and Berlin.

Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Barenboim-Said Akademie

We were honored to have a visit from Amb. Christina Beinhoff, Head of the Department for Culture and Society at the Fede...
31/10/2025

We were honored to have a visit from Amb. Christina Beinhoff, Head of the Department for Culture and Society at the Federal Foreign Office, Germany and Dr. Gesche Joost, President of the Goethe-Institut, this week. They were given a tour of the premises, insight into the day-to-day activities of the administration, teachers and students, and a short concert by a select number of our young musicians.
The students’ playing showed the fruits of the work which we all work together to achieve at the center - the dedication to teaching, organisation and practice which, in harmony, bring out the very best in us all.

Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Barenboim-Said Akademie

Congratulations to Jasmine Arar and Rand Nabulsi who were chosen in the recent auditions as the two students to travel t...
23/10/2025

Congratulations to Jasmine Arar and Rand Nabulsi who were chosen in the recent auditions as the two students to travel to the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin this November. They will partake in masterclasses and lessons and will experience the excitement and bustle of life within the academy, surrounded by the very best young musicians pursuing artistic excellence in their creative lives.
Auswärtiges Amt
Barenboim-Said Foundation USA
Barenboim-Said Akademie

Address

Al Jihad Str 22 (next To Carmel Hotel)
Ramallah

Opening Hours

Monday 14:30 - 18:30
Tuesday 14:30 - 18:30
Wednesday 14:30 - 18:30
Thursday 14:30 - 18:30
Friday 09:00 - 14:00
Sunday 09:00 - 18:00

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