Nikolay Alexeev

Ilya Papoyan

　　THIS Saturday, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (SPB), conducted by Nikolay Alexeev, will perform works from two Russian masters as well as Maurice Ravel. The talented young pianist Ilya Papoyan, the third prizewinner at the 17th International Tchaikovsky Competition last year, will headline the show.

The oldest symphony orchestra in Russia, with a history of over 140 years, SPB is among the world’s elite and has maintained an extraordinary quality in its performances. The orchestra has collaborated with legendary conductors like Bruno Walter, Felix Weingartner, and esteemed soloists such as Vladimir Horowitz and Sergei Prokofiev.

It also debuted six of Shostakovich’s symphonies, notably during the tenure (1938-1988) of conductor Evgeny Mravinsky, who formed a close bond with the composer.

Between 1988 and early 2022, Yuri Temirkanov led the orchestra, taking it on tours that garnered global fame and continuously enhancing its repertoire. Alexeev, the current chief conductor of SPB, graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory as a choral and opera-symphonic conductor. He won multiple conducting competitions, including the Herbert von Karajan Foundation’s International Competition (West Berlin, 1982), the V. Talich Competition (Prague, 1985), and the Min-On Competition (Tokyo, 1985). Alexeev had collaborated with the orchestra for over 20 years before assuming this position. He has also worked extensively with renowned orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra.

Saturday’s program will feature Sergei Prokofiev’s four extracts from “The Love for Three Oranges Suite, Op. 33,” Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G Major, M. 83,” and Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47.”

Prokofiev arranged six movements of a ballet into the orchestral suite in 1924, which has become one of the composer’s most frequently performed works.

Ravel’s piano concerto, composed between 1929 and 1931, reflects influences from the fast-moving, turbulent life he experienced in North America. The light, fanciful piece is jazz-tinged in the first and final movements. In between, a slow movement of serene beauty confirms Ravel’s status as a master of melody.

Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5,” first performed in 1937, met with huge enthusiasm due to its simple and direct musical language, extended well-shaped melodies, and a triumphant fanfare at the end.

Time: 8 p.m., May 18

Tickets: 280-1,380 yuan

Booking: WeChat account “szyyt_piao”

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音乐厅)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D (Li Dan)