Genesis Symphonic Poem to Be Performed in Portugal on October 17, 18

Baruch Berliner’s signature work—the Genesis symphonic poem—will be performed in Portugal in October 2026.

On October 17, Dr. Berliner’s music will fill the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption (Basílica Menor de N.ª Sr.ª da Assunção) in Torre de Moncorvo, followed by a performance at the Church of John of Sahagún (Igreja de São João Novo) in Porto on October 18.

Dr. Berliner’s Genesis symphonic poem for narrator and orchestra is a unique and innovative synthesis of words, music, and video art, comprising seven movements that recount events described in the Old Testament:

1) The Creation of the World;
2) Adam and Eve;
3) The Expulsion from Paradise;
4) Cain and Abel;
5) Noah;
6) The Flood;
7) The Token of the Covenant.

The composition will be performed by the Orquestra da Ópera na Academia e na Cidade, conducted by Lior Shambadal, with narration by Pedro Araújo Santos.

Israeli composer and conductor Lior Shambadal studied viola, trombone, and conducting in his native Tel Aviv. He received training in theory and composition with Sergiu Natra, then continued his studies with Carl Melles at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna, honing his skills as a conductor under Carlo Maria Giulini, Igor Markevitch, Sergiu Celibidache, and Franco Ferrara. He furthered his education in Vienna, including inquiries into electronic music, and in France, where he studied composition with Witold Lutosławski and Henri Dutilleux. Mr. Shambadal is internationally known for his CDs and television projects, as well as for his guest-conducting appearances with orchestras around the world. The founder of the composers’ group Acoustic 7-11 and the contemporary music ensemble Musica Nova, he has also earned recognition as a composer across a wide range of genres, from chamber music and songs to symphonic works.

Produced by Nachum Slutzker, General Manager of Baruch Berliner’s Genesis International Project