Dmitri Shostakovich was a 20th-century Russian composer whose music reflects both personal expression and the turbulent political climate of his time. Known for his symphonies and string quartets, his works balance dark intensity with moments of irony and wit. Shostakovich’s distinctive voice and profound artistry have made him a central figure in modern classical music.
Quick overview of Dmitri Shostakovich by associated keywords
These concerts with works by Dmitri Shostakovich became visible lately at Concert Pulse.
As a chamber music professor and piano accompanist, Mara Mednik worked for decades to turn talented young musicians into the stars of tomorrow. She brought many as yet unknown greats to the stage of the Hamburg Chamber Music Festival. Her former students have included Daniel Hope, David Garett, Julian Steckel and Vilde Frang.
Promoting young talent is a central concern of the Hamburg Chamber Music Festival. This concert features five young prizewinners of international competitions. Together, they will rehearse true chamber music »highlights« especially for this evening.
For many, thirteen is an unlucky number. But for composers, it is rather the number ten, because starting with Beethoven, many were able to complete a ninth symphony, but died before finishing their tenth or didn't dare to begin it at all. Like Mahler, who sketched his Tenth Symphony but had to leave it unfinished. However, even though he did not complete it, the sorrow, pain, and deeply felt anguish in this music remains one of the most moving pieces one can hear in a concert. On the other hand, Shostakovich composed fifteen symphonies, but his Fourth was not heard for decades. The blame lay with Stalin, who put so much pressure on the composer that he withdrew his work. The communist regime found the drastic way in which the composer expressed the horrors of the terror regime to be too dangerous.
Concerts in season 2024/25 or later where works by Dmitri Shostakovich is performed
We are delighted that John Storgårds will be our guest again this season, as he is a highly valued member of our orchestra family. In addition to his regular appearances in Bamberg as a conductor, he was active in other roles last summer: as part of the jury in our Mahler Competition. As a conductor, he is known for his creative instinct in arranging programmes and will guide us through his rich selection of works with a keen sense of rhythm: We start with a waltz from a rarely heard gem – Shostakovich’s operetta, first performed in 1959, which revolves around everyday life in a Plattenbau housing estate. Poulenc could be a real »rascal« – as evidenced by his concerto written in 1932, despite some of its elegiac tones. We are pleased to welcome two young pianists, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, for their debut in Bamberg. The concert will also feature the Symphony No. 3 by Ukrainian composer Victoria Polevá: this haunting piece was written in 2003 and at times creates powerful sonic massifs, but is otherwise characterised by a melancholy tone. This austere mood suits our guest conductor wonderfully as a transition to the initially very pensive nature of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 – which, however, then ends in a sarcastic circus frenzy. This is sure to be a moving experience, as the press raved about our cordial collaboration with the likeable Finn on the podium: »John Storgårds allowed for highly emotional, exuberant, free and joyful music-making, which the superb Bambergers savoured to the full. Everything was just right – a great moment!«
We are delighted that John Storgårds will be our guest again this season, as he is a highly valued member of our orchestra family. In addition to his regular appearances in Bamberg as a conductor, he was active in other roles last summer: as part of the jury in our Mahler Competition. As a conductor, he is known for his creative instinct in arranging programmes and will guide us through his rich selection of works with a keen sense of rhythm: We start with a waltz from a rarely heard gem – Shostakovich’s operetta, first performed in 1959, which revolves around everyday life in a Plattenbau housing estate. Poulenc could be a real »rascal« – as evidenced by his concerto written in 1932, despite some of its elegiac tones. We are pleased to welcome two young pianists, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, for their debut in Bamberg. The concert will also feature the Symphony No. 3 by Ukrainian composer Victoria Polevá: this haunting piece was written in 2003 and at times creates powerful sonic massifs, but is otherwise characterised by a melancholy tone. This austere mood suits our guest conductor wonderfully as a transition to the initially very pensive nature of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 – which, however, then ends in a sarcastic circus frenzy. This is sure to be a moving experience, as the press raved about our cordial collaboration with the likeable Finn on the podium: »John Storgårds allowed for highly emotional, exuberant, free and joyful music-making, which the superb Bambergers savoured to the full. Everything was just right – a great moment!«
The Orchestre National de Lille makes a vibrant plea against the scourge of antisemitism. Evoking the victims of the past, this programme reminds us that, in the words of Bertolt Brecht, ‘the belly is still fertile from which the foul beast sprang’.
Musicians of the Komische Oper Berlin present intensive listening experiences in special locations as part of their chamber concerts. From the festive ambience of the Schiller Theater to the monumental vastness of the old hangar at Tempelhof Airport, with new sound worlds at the Kindl site to enchanting experiences in a tent.
For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!
'Is there a better chamber orchestra in the world?' (The Guardian). Australia's premiere ensemble performs works by JS Bach, Sofia Gubaidalina and Shostakovich.
For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!
The "Spring Concert" welcomes the season with beloved opera and operetta classics. The Essen Philharmonic's salon orchestra returns with silky operetta hits, rousing arias, and elegant Viennese waltzes. Colorful, spirited arrangements allow for reveling in and dreaming of spring, warmth, blooming nature, and springtime love.
While the Sitkovetsky Trio is working on its Beethoven cycle, their Heidelberg concert takes a different direction. Ukrainian composer Lena Sierova's piano trio commemorates the Bucha massacre victims. The program also features Shostakovich's poignant Piano Trio No. 2, a memorial to Ivan Sollertinsky, reflecting the pain of war. Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in D minor offers a glimmer of hope amidst the suffering.
The multinational young Kyan Quartet joins the Carduccis as Gubaidulina’s compact Quartet No 2 is stitched into a Shostakovich sequence including the penultimate quartet, with its focus on the cello.
The "Spring Concert" welcomes the season with beloved opera and operetta classics. The Essen Philharmonic's salon orchestra returns with silky operetta hits, rousing arias, and elegant Viennese waltzes. Colorful, spirited arrangements allow for reveling in and dreaming of spring, warmth, blooming nature, and springtime love.
This event is for children 8+ (accompanied by max. one adult). Dive into the world of orchestral music! Experience the pre-concert excitement with young conductor Tarmo Peltokoski and Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen as they prepare for the evening concert featuring Shostakovich's Cello Concerto with soloist Anastasia Kobekina. The 90-minute program includes the rehearsal, intro, and follow-up discussion. The concert is at 7:30 PM. Kobekina and Braun discuss the concerto.
Tarmo Peltokoski, 24, Principal Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, will conduct Beethoven's Symphony No. 4. Cellist Anastasia Kobekina will perform Shostakovich's Cello Concerto in E-flat major. A public rehearsal for children is offered for this concert. Kobekina discusses the impact of Stalin's regime on Shostakovich's music in a separate program.
»I’m happy about every listener, regardless whether they are musically trained or not. Concert halls are not museums and everyone can love music. I feel like an entertainer. And people notice that.« Krzysztof Urbański once said this in an interview – and he really is a charming entertainer on the conductor’s podium. No surprise, as the friendly Pole first wanted to be a dancer and then a football player as a kid before discovering his passion for conducting. He has been mixing up the classical music scene with his distinctive style for many years now. He particularly loves his guest performances with us and we are happy that he will be holding the baton again – in an emotionally charged programme that he has meticulously prepared as he always does. He has a strong affection for Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, with which the composer silenced his critics for a short time in 1937 – a typically ambiguous work with which he wanted to portray the »becoming of the personality«, in other words »the individual human being with all his feelings and doubts«. Before that, things are no less turbulent: with Alina Ibragimova as soloist, Sibelius’ brilliant violin concerto is performed. According to the composer’s wife, he was »on fire the whole time« during its composition. And you can hear this in the piece with its majestic melodies and sparkling action – including in the finale, which a critic humorously called a »polonaise for polar bears«, while Sibelius described it as a »danse macabre«. A programme that is perfectly suited to the temperament of Krzysztof Urbański, who once said: »I simply can’t do anything about this energy that slumbers inside of me. I just do what I feel.«
Jens Peter Maintz plays the cello.
»I’m happy about every listener, regardless whether they are musically trained or not. Concert halls are not museums and everyone can love music. I feel like an entertainer. And people notice that.« Krzysztof Urbański once said this in an interview – and he really is a charming entertainer on the conductor’s podium. No surprise, as the friendly Pole first wanted to be a dancer and then a football player as a kid before discovering his passion for conducting. He has been mixing up the classical music scene with his distinctive style for many years now. He particularly loves his guest performances with us and we are happy that he will be holding the baton again – in an emotionally charged programme that he has meticulously prepared as he always does. He has a strong affection for Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, with which the composer silenced his critics for a short time in 1937 – a typically ambiguous work with which he wanted to portray the »becoming of the personality«, in other words »the individual human being with all his feelings and doubts«. Before that, things are no less turbulent: with Alina Ibragimova as soloist, Sibelius’ brilliant violin concerto is performed. According to the composer’s wife, he was »on fire the whole time« during its composition. And you can hear this in the piece with its majestic melodies and sparkling action – including in the finale, which a critic humorously called a »polonaise for polar bears«, while Sibelius described it as a »danse macabre«. A programme that is perfectly suited to the temperament of Krzysztof Urbański, who once said: »I simply can’t do anything about this energy that slumbers inside of me. I just do what I feel.«
The Bremen Philharmonic's anniversary season presents classical masterpieces, including Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto and Shostakovich's 5th Symphony. Beethoven's concerto elevates the genre, while Shostakovich's marks a heroic return. Fanny Hensel's Overture in C Major offers a cheerful counterpoint. The concert introduction starts 30 minutes prior in the Glocke's "Kleinen Saal".
The Bremen Philharmonic's anniversary season presents classical masterpieces, including Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto and Shostakovich's 5th Symphony. Beethoven's concerto elevates the genre, while Shostakovich's marks a heroic return. Fanny Hensel's Overture in C Major offers a cheerful counterpoint. The concert introduction starts 30 minutes prior in the Glocke's "Kleinen Saal".
The 6th Philharmonic Concert of the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg featured Israeli clarinetist Shirley Brill and new General Music Director Mino Marani. The program included Brahms' clarinet sonatas, written shortly before his death, and orchestrated by Luciano Berio. Shostakovich's 10th Symphony, composed after Stalin's death, was also performed. Tickets are available via phone.
The vision string quartet masterfully blends classical fidelity with experimental band energy. Their fresh approach to string quartet masterpieces has propelled them to international acclaim. Their "Vision" also includes broadening their stylistic horizons, integrating pop, jazz, and original compositions. Schostakovich's eighth quartet harmoniously coexists with the quartet's own works from their album "Spectrum".
Shostakovich in both revolutionary and festive mood alongside a MacMillan Concerto, written for Nicola Benedetti.
Jacek Brzoznowski, photo: opera.poznan.pl Due to reasons beyond the Warsaw Philharmonic, there has been a change of conductor for the subscription concerts on 4 and 5 April 2025. Instead of Antonello Manacorda, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Jacek Brzoznowski, who is acting as Assistant Conductor for the current season. The programme of the concerts remains unchanged. Beethoven seems to have ‘commissioned’ his Symphony No. 1 in C major from himself. The ambition to tackle a form that the Romantic aesthetic revolution would soon be treating as a laboratory for absolute music would have suited the Viennese Classic’s character. The increasingly prominent 30-year-old composer dedicated the completed work, on which he worked meticulously for many years, to Gottfried van Swieten, the protector of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was the achievements of those composers, kindly disposed towards the young Beethoven, with whose output he would hardly have dared to vie at the time, that served as the starting point for his supremely successful debut symphony. The Symphony No. 1 by the twentieth-century classic Dmitry Shostakovich was his diploma piece in the composition class of the Leningrad Conservatory, from which he graduated at the age of 19. Characterised by the composer’s typical play of edgy motifs, march-like rhythms and clear textures, this work soon ventured beyond the university walls, bringing its young composer international acclaim. Subsequent anniversaries of the symphony’s first performance at the Leningrad Philharmonic in 1926 were later celebrated by Shostakovich for the rest of his life, while that famous institution, remembering the premieres of his other works, later repaid the favour by adopting Shostakovich as its patron.
Jacek Brzoznowski, photo: opera.poznan.pl Due to reasons beyond the Warsaw Philharmonic, there has been a change of conductor for the subscription concerts on 4 and 5 April 2025. Instead of Antonello Manacorda, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Jacek Brzoznowski, who is acting as Assistant Conductor for the current season. The programme of the concerts remains unchanged. Beethoven seems to have ‘commissioned’ his Symphony No. 1 in C major from himself. The ambition to tackle a form that the Romantic aesthetic revolution would soon be treating as a laboratory for absolute music would have suited the Viennese Classic’s character. The increasingly prominent 30-year-old composer dedicated the completed work, on which he worked meticulously for many years, to Gottfried van Swieten, the protector of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was the achievements of those composers, kindly disposed towards the young Beethoven, with whose output he would hardly have dared to vie at the time, that served as the starting point for his supremely successful debut symphony. The Symphony No. 1 by the twentieth-century classic Dmitry Shostakovich was his diploma piece in the composition class of the Leningrad Conservatory, from which he graduated at the age of 19. Characterised by the composer’s typical play of edgy motifs, march-like rhythms and clear textures, this work soon ventured beyond the university walls, bringing its young composer international acclaim. Subsequent anniversaries of the symphony’s first performance at the Leningrad Philharmonic in 1926 were later celebrated by Shostakovich for the rest of his life, while that famous institution, remembering the premieres of his other works, later repaid the favour by adopting Shostakovich as its patron.
For many, thirteen is an unlucky number. But for composers, it is rather the number ten, because starting with Beethoven, many were able to complete a ninth symphony, but died before finishing their tenth or didn't dare to begin it at all. Like Mahler, who sketched his Tenth Symphony but had to leave it unfinished. However, even though he did not complete it, the sorrow, pain, and deeply felt anguish in this music remains one of the most moving pieces one can hear in a concert. On the other hand, Shostakovich composed fifteen symphonies, but his Fourth was not heard for decades. The blame lay with Stalin, who put so much pressure on the composer that he withdrew his work. The communist regime found the drastic way in which the composer expressed the horrors of the terror regime to be too dangerous.
For Isabelle Faust only the art matters, not the trappings. She plays with aplomb, focus, deep feeling—that’s how the violinist enthrals the audience, particularly with Shostakovich’s Second Violin Concerto, which, seriously ill in 1967, he »squeezed out note by note, with difficulty«. Sharply reduced, introverted music that concentrates completely on the violin. Music that inquires into where we are going and why.
Concert Pulse