Berlin's Holocaust memorial to host classical open-air concert

The Holocaust memorial in Berlin will host a classical concert next month on the third anniversary of its opening, the foundation responsible for the memorial announced Friday.

Conducted by Lothar Zagrosek, the Kammersymphonie Berlin orchestra will perform the world premiere of a modern experimental piece by composer Harald Weiss on May 9.

The musicians will spread out among the 2,711 gray concrete slabs that make up the monument, and the audience will be able to move freely across the site, the organizers said.

Designed by the American architect Peter Eisenman, the memorial - located close to Berlin's signature Brandenburg Gate - cost $43.6 million at current rates to build. The site is open to the public around the clock.

More than 8 million people have visited the memorial since its 2005 opening, and up to 3,000 guests are expected to attend the concert, which is free of charge, the organizers said.