700 Musicians Demand a Ceasefire in Gaza Through “Classical Music for Palestine”

Written by Chantal Gapato  |  November 28, 2025

Over 700 musicians from around the world have signed Classical Music for Palestine, a collective statement urging the classical music community to clarify its stance on the ongoing crisis in Gaza. The statement, published on September 6 on Le Club de Mediapart, calls for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of humanitarian blockades.

Signatories include conductor and composer Jordi Savall, guitarist Sean Shibe, harpsichordist and Academy of Ancient Music director Laurence Cummings, sopranos Sophie Daneman and Vera Lotte Boecker, harpists Christina Pluhar and Dr. Siobhan Armstrong, composer Alastair White, and violinist Michael Barenboim, among others.

The statement emphasizes that classical music’s history is linked to European states and should not be appropriated for political agendas aligned with domination, whether geopolitical, social, or societal. It also calls for recognition of the State of Palestine by all EU member states, the implementation of a solution based on a binational state, and freedom for members of the classical sector to express political convictions without fear of boycotts or institutional backlash.

This statement coincides with similar movements in other industries, including the film sector, where thousands of professionals have pledged not to work with Israeli institutions they accuse of complicity in Gaza. It also follows humanitarian warnings, including reports from the World Health Organization about famine in Gaza, and an open letter signed by more than 400 public figures—including Malala Yousafzai, Judi Dench, and Benedict Cumberbatch—urging the UK government to end complicity in the crisis.