NEW YORK -- Political and religious leaders could improve their peacemaking ability by paying attention to what some contemporary musicians are achieving. "Inter-religious" orchestras comprising Jewish, Muslim and Catholic musicians point the way toward a diminishing climate of violence while signaling the beginning of a new kind of relationship among people of different religious beliefs.
Such an orchestra recently formed in Argentina for the first time -- the result of the work of Catholic priest Fernando Giannetti, rabbi Sergio Bergman and the president of the Argentine Islamic Center Sumir Noufouri. It is called Armonias (Harmonies). From the beginning, the initiative has received the strong support of Daniel Barenboim, the noted musician who has worked tirelessly for peace in the Middle East.
Together with the late Palestinian scholar Edward Said, Barenboim has gone on to create the West-Eastern Divan (named after an anthology of poems by Goethe), an orchestra made up of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians. The orchestra has performed throughout the world, and Barenboim has given piano recitals and music classes in Palestinian areas.