The WEST-EASTERN DIVAN ORCHESTRA was founded in 1999 in Weimar, the cultural capital of Europea. This symphony orchestra is composed of young musicians from 14 to 25 years of age, from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Israel, and Andalusia. They come together once a year for rehearsals and a subsequent performance period. It was founded by the Argentian-Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim, the Palestinian-born American literary critic Edward Said, and the General Delegate of the European cultural capital; Bernd Kauffmann. After two sets of rehearsal and performance periods, the Orchestra is now found in Seville. In 2007 the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra won the Praemium Imperiale Grant for Young Artists.