Ben-Zion Orgad was born in Gelsenkirchen and emigrated to Palestine/Israel with his parents and sister at the age of seven. There he was taught by Paul Ben-Haim and Josef Tal, and later, in the USA, by Aaron Copland, amongst others. For over three decades, he held leading positions in music education in Israel and made his mark as a composer, teacher and lyricist. His engagement with language, landscape, religion, history and the various arts influenced his musical oeuvre – ranging from solo works for an instrument or voice to symphonies and oratorios. From the mid-1990s onwards, he explored in greater depth the significance of his childhood in Germany for his life. “Between Worlds” is the title of his autobiography, in which he addresses for the first time inner conflicts that had long been hidden or merely hinted at.