For the first time, capital and regional orchestras will take part in a large-scale project: the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia «Evgeny Svetlanov», the National Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Russian National Orchestra, Persimfans, Moscow Soloists and others under the baton of the conductors, such as Vladimir Fedoseev, Dmitry Korchak, Vasily Petrenko, Vladimir Spivakov, Mikhail Pletnev, Pierre Blaise (France), Dmitry Liss, Andrey Boreiko, Yuri Bashmet, Daniil Raiskin.

The Seventh (Leningrad) Symphony made Shostakovich's name truly legendary. Perhaps today the Seventh is the composer's most performed work. The work was written in 1941. On the title page of the score, Shostakovich wrote: «Dedicated to the city of Leningrad». For the first time, the symphony was performed in Kuibyshev on March 5, 1942 by the orchestra of the evacuated theater under the direction of Samuil Samosud. The world premiere is attended by prominent figures: public figures, representatives of foreign embassies and diplomatic missions, journalists of reputable European and American newspapers. On March 29, under the direction of Samosud, the symphony was premiered in Moscow by the orchestras of the Bolshoi Theater and the All-Union Radio, and on August 9, its historic performance took place in besieged Leningrad by the Leningrad Radio Orchestra (conducted by Karl Eliasberg). During 1942 the symphony was performed in the allied countries; in London it was conducted by Sir Henry Wood, in New York by Arturo Toscanini. The success of the symphony contributed to the creative growth of the composer. The next six years became one of the most productive in his biography.

Before the concert in the Small Hall at 19.00 there will be a lecture «Conversation about Shostakovich».
Joseph Raiskin

Since many things taken for granted from the understanding of Shostakovich's music go away with the generation for which this music was written, a commentary on each concert becomes necessary. For this purpose, the cycle «Conversation about Shostakovich» has been created: an hour before each concert in the Small Hall of Zaryadye musicians, journalists and musicologists will tell about the composer's symphonies:

Pyotr Aidou and Grigory Krotenko (No. 1 and No. 2)
Julia Bederova (No. 8 and No. 15)
Levon Akopyan (No. 11, No. 13 and No. 14 - about the latter together with Yuri Bashmet)
Dina Kirnarskaya (No. 6 and No. 10)
Varvara Turova and Alexey Kurbatov (No. 5)
Joseph Raiskin (no. 7)
Olga Digonskaya (No. 9 and No. 12)
Andrey Boreiko (no. 4)
Joseph Raiskin and Daniil Raiskin (no. 3)

The entrance to the «Conversation about Shostakovich» is carried out after registration on the site. To register, you must have a ticket for the evening concert on the same day.