Composition Commission – Aribert Reimann on his 80th Birthday

German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Germany

The human voice and literature are two elements accompanying Reimann through his life from a very early age and indeed they characterize his multilayered work; however, they also impact his passionate work as Lied accompanist and university lecturer. His operas, including Lear, Das Schloss or more recently Medea, are among his most famous works, yet his sense of lyricism and powerful musical language have also been reflected in numerous orchestral works.
In March 2016 Aribert Reimann, winner of the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2011, will be 80 years old. To mark this occasion the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin (DSO) will dedicate an artistic focal point in the 2015/2016 concert season to one of the most important composers of the present day. Forming the highlight will be a new, half-hour piece of work for large orchestra to be commissioned by the DSO with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. Collaboration on the new work represents a further highlight in the relationship between Aribert Reimann and the DSO already existing now for over 50 years and about which the composer himself says: “Over these more than 50 years the DSO has grown very close to my heart. They have always displayed a remarkable understanding of my music and I always hear it played by the DSO how I imagined it being played – for me this is the greatest gift.”

March 11 and 13, 2015
Philharmonie Berlin 

Further Information
www.dso-berlin.de