Russian composer Dmitrij Schostakowitsch, born on September 25th 1906 in St. Petersburg, was in a difficult artistic position. He was severely restricted in his artistic freedom by the severe strictures of the Soviet Union's cultural ideologues and…

Both of Shostakovitch´s violin concertos are dedicated to the Russian master violinist David Oistrakh, who was a good friend of the composer and advised him, the pianist, on the creation of both solo parts. While Shostakovitch was able to compose his…

Military music and trumpet calls, the sounds of nature and cow bells, funeral march and wooden mallet – there is hardly any kind of music or any instrument missing from the symphonies of Gustav Mahler (born on July 7, 1860 in the Czech town of…

As early as his First Symphony, written between 1885 and 1888, the groundwork was laid for every factor that set Gustav Mahler apart: a monumental form, which links his output to Bruckner´s symphonic works, Mahler´s typical mosaic structure setting…

Klaus Mäkelä is the newly appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of Oslo Philharmonic, beginning in the 2020/21 season. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Artist in Association with Tapiola…

Lisa Batiashvili, the Georgian-born German violinist, is praised by audiences and fellow musicians for her virtuosity. An award winning artist, she has developed long-standing relationships with the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and…