Symphony No. 3. All men are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and are to meet one another in a spirit of brotherhood. This article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights forms the basic idea behind this majestic Symphony of Freedom. In each of the three movements, the composer picks another angle on this universal theme of freedom. In the first Cry for Freedom it s the Dalai Lama of which the composer is a great admirer. The second movement Dream of Freedom takes the photograph of the deceased three-year-old refugee boy Ailan Kurdi on the beach at Bodrum as a basis. The finale Freedom Above All refers, besides a Bruckner quote, to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. This movement should be seen first and foremost as an affirmation of life, faith and hope for a better world.
