Middle East Peace Ensemble was established under the name Middle East Peace Orchestra in 2003 by Henrik Goldschmidt.
As a solo oboist with the Royal Danish Orchestra, he had no shortage of musical challenges, but the entrenched conflicts in the Middle East continued to cause concern and a sense of powerlessness. He set out to find talented musicians from different religious and cultural backgrounds. The creation of the orchestra was preceded by a long process, because Henrik wanted a serious artistic collaboration where the Middle Eastern parties were represented by professional, committed artists who also possessed the necessary courage to perform together.
The Middle East Peace Orchestra was received overwhelmingly by audiences and press both at home and abroad. Over the years, the orchestra has visited small and large venues and festivals around the world to spread a musical message of peace and unity across differences and national borders. Everywhere, the orchestra has thrilled audiences with its captivating, virtuosic playing and its ethos of creating peace between people. The music ranges from Jewish klezmer to Middle Eastern Makam, and the musicians come from Arab, Danish and Jewish backgrounds.
The members of the ensemble are hand-picked and among the leaders in their field. They all have the will and desire to enter each other's musical culture and get to know each other's music. The result is a musical melting pot of Middle Eastern music with a charitable and different expression that bridges cultures and people, coming together in a new unique sound with a common hope for peace.
The ensemble emphasises not only playing in the great concert halls of Copenhagen, Dresden, Munich and Stockholm, but also in hospital wards and playing for children around the world. In recent years, Henrik's busy career has led to the Middle East Peace Orchestra becoming the smaller Middle East Peace Ensemble.
The line-up is flexible and adaptable to circumstances and venues, but the values and commitment are the same at every performance.
