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World premiere by Shostakovich’s ‘musical grandson’

Wednesday 22 March 2017

A NEW piece by a Russian composer who can trace his musical lineage to Shostakovich will receive its world premiere at the University of Salford.

Dmitri Smirnov, one of the leading Russian composers of his generation, will himself introduce his Quartet Passacaglia Number 9 with a short talk at the next Chamber Music Salford session at the University’s Peel Hall on Monday March 27.

The composer will them hear the string quartet piece being performed in public for the first time when it is played by members of the BBC Philharmonic.

Smirnov, whose work has been performed around the world and who has previously worked as a composer in residence at the University of Cambridge, trained at the Moscow Conservatoire under Edison Denisov – who was himself a pupil of Dmitri Shostakovich.

The concert will also include performances by the Adelphi Contemporary Music Group, a collaboration between staff and students from the University of Salford’s music programmes playing their own compositions along with musicians from the BBC Philharmonic.

There will also be electronic performances from the Adelphi Laptop Ensemble and a piece for guitar written and performed by Salford PhD student Lee Jones.

Alan Williams, Professor of Music at the University of Salford, said: “To be able to host a world premiere by such a celebrated composer is a real honour, particularly for our own music students who will be performing in the same concert alongside a musician who traces his musical lineage back to the great Shostakovich.

“Dmitri Smirnov himself will be there in the concert hall hearing the music performed for the first time alongside members of the audience and our students, so this will be a genuinely special event.”

Smirnov’s talk begins at 4.30pm on Monday March 27, followed by the free concert will begin at 5.45pm on Monday March 27. Contact Duncan Winfield d.winfield@salford.ac.uk for more information.