Dmitri Shostakovich was actually a tragic figure of his time: a great musical talent who had "to navigate between Scylla and Karibdo" in order to support himself and his family while living under the rule of the Soviet Regime. For decades, the West only knew of his compositions and did not realise that his very existence had been repeatedly threatened, yet at a later date, he received the highest state awards. The focal points for this evening will be his Symphony No. 5 and Violin Concerto No. 1.