St Petersburg Philharmonic, Royal Festival Hall

Under their chief conductor Yuri Termirkanov, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic have become a regular presence on the London stage. Their appearance in the Southbank Centre 2016-17 season promises to be something very special indeed – and not only because they will be joined by the Argentine pianist Martha Agerich, often hailed as one of the greatest musicians alive today.

The opening work, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (1921), is the most popular of his five, and one of the few in the repertoire that grants the piano and orchestra equilibrium. It is also one of the cornerstones of Agerich’s repertoire, winning her acclaim in the 1960s and a Grammy Award in 2000.

The premiere of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 (1937) was one of the most resounding of the twentieth century. Although he had been publicly denounced in 1936, Russian audiences were unstinting in their praise. With its combination of open-hearted melancholy and military assertiveness, many saw it as a paean to their struggles and suffering under the regime. First performed by the then Leningrad Philharmonic, this concert represents a rare opportunity to see a canonical masterpiece played by the ensemble for which it was written.

The concert closes with two suites from Khachaturian's Spartacus ballet- the popular Adagio and the opening Dance of the Nymphs.