The German Symphonic Orchestra Berlin will perform the world premiere of “Goya II. Yo lo vi – Memoratorium,“ a commissioned work by Helmut Oehring at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall.

Referring to the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, the “Memoratorium” – an oratorium urging remembrance – takes as its theme the horrors of war. It was written by the award-winning composer Helmut Oehring (born in East Berlin in 1961 to deaf parents), whose work is performed in concert halls and on stages throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

On this evening, the Berlin-based composer will receive the Arnold Schönberg Prize 2008 for his complete work. For Ingo Metzmacher, principal conductor and artistic director of the German Symphonic Orchestra Berlin, the Memoratorium for large orchestra is the most lavish production of the 2008/09 season. In juxtaposition to Oehring’s work, Metzmacher will conduct Beethoven’s “Eroica“ in the second half of the concert.

The commissioned work is sponsored by the Schering Stiftung.