In August 2000, a faulty torpedo caused the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk, deep in the Arctic reaches of the Barents Sea. With the Russian government unable or unwilling to help, the world watched in horror as the 118 souls aboard were slowly, inexorably lost to the inky silence of the ocean's floor. From the seeds of this grim spectacle, multi-award winning Australian composer David Chisholm has created an ambitious, almost overwhelming memorial to the personal and symbolic tragedy that was the sinking of the Kursk. Setting renowned Russian poet Anzhelina Polonskaya's melancholic verse within an original composition for an eight-voice male consort and 26-piece chamber orchestra, KURSK: An Oratorio Requiem will be premiered by Melbourne's Arcko Symphonic Project, featuring trumpet virtuoso Tristram Williams, celebrated young soprano Jessica Aszodi and 2010 RMP Aria Award winning bass-baritone Christopher Richardson. Under the exceptional direction of New York conductor Eric Dudley. KURSK will be a performance of singularly exquisite musicianship, crafted by one of the grand talents of Australia's contemporary music scene. Commencing with a recital by Polonskaya, a moving, unadorned reading of her poetry in both Russian and English, and followed by the scale and majesty of Chisholm's score, KURSK is a haunting and unashamedly epic musical tribute told through a collision of two of the most enduring forms of the Western art music tradition.