Talk on The Impact of the Friendship between Britten and Shostakovich on Diplomatic Relations during the Cold War

The talk is dedicated to the Inaugural International Tour of the Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra. Inspired by the great Cold War friendship between Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and British composer Benjamin Britten, conductor Jan Latham-Koenig launches the first British-Russian orchestra – The Britten- Shostakovich Festival Orchestra (BSFO) – bringing together the most talented young musicians from Britain and Russia for an extensive tour of the two countries in September.

The historic acquaintance between the great minds of Britten and Shostakovich resulted in the most unlikely cross-border collaborations, which enabled both countries to experience and celebrate not only the music of these great musical giants but also of each other’s musical cultures. Enabled by their mutual friendship with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, both Britten and Shostakovich were able to traverse the ideological boundaries of the Cold War era.

The Orchestra will gather for the first time in September 2019 for a week’s residency at the Sirius Park of Science and Art in Sochi, where the musicians will rehearse and be coached by a professional faculty drawn from major orchestras and opera houses.

The event will be held in English. Free admission, RSVP.