Synopsis

Yuri Bashmet, a distinguished Russian soloist, performs in Walton’s Viola Concerto. The program also includes Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, the Leningrad, a work composed with remarkable speed in 1941 to uplift the Soviet people during their struggle against the Nazis. Between movements, Galina Vishnevskaya shares recollections of the Siege of Leningrad and reflects on the enduring power of Shostakovich's music. The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, conducted by David Atherton, present