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Music and politics don’t mix, or so we’re told. But Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was written in direct response to an attack on the composer from Stalin himself, and the stakes – in 1930s Russia – could hardly have been higher. That’s the history; its legacy is a shattering musical testament of humanity against oppression. The Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra is led by its young Associate Conductor Alpesh Chauhan. First, Colin Currie (‘the world’s finest and most daring percussionist’ – The Spectator) takes the spotlight in a new concerto by Nicole Lizée: the Canadian sonic magician who lists MTV, Alexander McQueen, early video games and thrash metal among her influences. Then, a vision of pure beauty from Anton Bruckner: the famous Adagio from his String Quintet, orchestrated by the great Polish conductor StanisÅ‚aw Skrowaczewski.

Image: Colin Currie © Marco Borggreve