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Founded in 1931 by a radio installation committee, the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra (now known as the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra = SPSO) has, since its inception, given regular concerts on radio. Even during World War II, although they remained in the city, they managed to perform at various concert venues and many of these concerts were not only heard on USSR Radio but on foreign radio as well. After the war the orchestra's work broadened and they began to perform more frequently in public, increasing substantially the number of symphonic concerts in Leningrad. A large part of their repertoire includes works by Soviet composers and the orchestra has given many premieres of works by such composers as Dmitri Shostakovich and Gliere.
Alexander Dmitriev took over the direction of the orchestra in 1977. |
