Two composers. One generation. Two remarkably different voices.

 

Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. Zara Levina, though nearly his exact contemporary and a fellow Soviet composer, remains largely unknown to American audiences. This concert brings their music–and their stories–side by side, with the ideological pressure of state censorship ever present.

 

Levina’s Fantasy on Bashkir Themes and Kanzonetta reveal a composer with a vivid melodic imagination, drawing on folk traditions, Jewish themes, and the rich musical language of her time. Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 moves from an eerie, almost otherworldly opening through unbridled mania, profound grief, and a grotesque final dance that also incorporates Jewish themes. It is at once intensely personal and deeply connected to the devastation of the Second World War.

 

These three works illuminate the fascinating musical landscape of the Soviet Union through the eyes of a composer whose name became legendary and another whose music is only now beginning to receive the attention it deserves. Heard side by side, their music raises questions that extend far beyond time and place: How can music be an act of defiance? How can it preserve what history tries to erase? Whose voices get remembered—and whose are left behind?

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Join BFO Artistic Director Alyssa Wang, BFO musicians, and guest artists for an immersive chamber music experience that blends performance with thoughtful discussion, inviting audiences to engage with the music’s historical, cultural, and emotional context.​