SHOSTAKOVICH'S LENINGRAD SYMPHONY
Arranged for piano-4-hands
Featuring acclaimed pianists JED DISTLER & CRISTIAN SANDRIN Jed Distler: "A musician with smoke coming out of his ears" Cristian Sandrin who is quickly establishing himself as a rising star in the UK and abroad
St Mary's Church in Twickenham
Experience one of history's most powerful musical statements in the distinguished acoustics of St Mary's Church in Twickenham. This rare piano four-hands adaptation of Shostakovich's legendary Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad" was commissioned by the composer himself.
Born from the crucible of the 872-day Siege of Leningrad, this extraordinary work emerged as a beacon of defiance against tyranny. Composed by Shostakovich while serving as both head of piano at the Conservatoire and volunteer firefighter during the brutal siege that claimed 800,000 lives, the symphony became a rallying cry for resistance.
In April 1942, amid starvation and desperation, the work's premiere lifted the spirits of a city under siege—a historic moment that transcended music to become a symbol of human endurance.
“I have only tried to give an emotional expression of the war" - Dmitri Shostakovich
Join us for this moving tribute to courage, resilience, and the triumph of the human spirit through music.