Classical 99.5 | Classical Radio Boston
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Thank you for your support during our winter membership drive! Click here to donate.

Shostakovich, Stravinsky and World Premiere with the Boston Symphony Orchestra

A shot of the stage from the audience's perspective. Nelsons conducts the full orchestra on a podium, in front of Symphony Hall's golden pipe organ.
Robert Torres
Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall

Saturday, April 26, 2025
8:00 PM

This program pairs Shostakovich’s introspective, classically elegant Sixth Symphony with Stravinsky’s austerely profound Symphony of Psalms, commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky for the BSO’s 50th anniversary. The BSO commissioned Aleksandra Vrebalov to compose a psalm setting using the same musical forces as Stravinsky’s masterpiece. Originally from the former Yugoslavia and winner of the prestigious 2023 Grawemeyer Award, Vrebalov composes music of deeply spiritual humanism influenced in part by Byzantine chant.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
 James Burton, conductor

Aleksandra VREBALOV New work for chorus and orchestra (world premiere; BSO commission)
Igor STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 6