Olivier Messiaen

Stalag VIII A was a German POW camp now located in the Polish city of Zgorzelec, a neighbouring city of Görlitz in Germany. Olivier Messiaen (1908 1992), one of most magnificent composers of the 20th century, was a French paramedic during World War II. After he was captured and imprisoned at Stalag VIII A, he composed one of his most important works there - the "Quartet for the End of Time" [Quatour pour la fin du temps], which was first performed by his fellow inmates on 15 January 1941. In commemoration of his 100th birthday, German and Polish youth participated in musician and composer workshops based on the theme "Meeting Point Music Messiaen" and performed in joint concerts on both sides of the German-Polish border.

The festival events culminated in a double concert by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Antoni Wit. In addition to Messiaen's works, the programme also included a piece by the contemporary composer Wojciech Kilar and the world premiere of a work by the Saxon composer Andreas Kersting. The festival highlighted the historical significance of Stalag VIII A on both sides of the border and kicked off the planned construction of a new memorial and meeting centre at this location.

Schedule and venues
14-26 June 2008 Workshops "Meetingpoint Music Messiaen"
Concerts: 21 and 29 June 2008 LandschaftsOHR Boxberg, 22 June 2008 Zgorzelec sports centre, 28 June 2008 Dom Kultury Zgorzelec

16 June 2008 7.30 pm Concert by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra / Antoni Wit
Venue: Zgorzelec sports centre
Works by: Wojciech Kilar, Olivier Messiaen, Ludwig van Beethoven

17 June 2008 7.30 pm Concert by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra / Antoni Wit
Venue: Bombardier final assembly hall, Görlitz
Works by: Olivier Messiaen, Andreas Kersting