A String of Shostakovich Performances By Colorado Classical Ensembles

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Shostakovich wrote 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets and many more orchestral and chamber pieces before his death in 1975. Here's what Colorado ensembles are performing by Shostakovich in the coming weeks:

• Tuesday: Colorado Chamber Players present Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano and Viola Sonata in a noon concert at St. John's Cathedral in Denver. The program repeats at 2 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Boulder Public Library. 
• Also on Tuesday: CPR Classical's Charley Samson and the Brentano Quartet discuss Shostakovich and his music at the Englewood Civic Center at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday: The Brentano Quartet plays a Friends of Chamber Music concert at the Newman Center in Denver. The 7:30 p.m. program includes Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 14. 
• Jan. 22-23: Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra plays Chamber Symphony for String Orchestra at First Baptist Church in Denver on Jan. 22 and First United Methodist Church in Boulder on Jan. 23.
• Feb. 12: The Boulder Philharmonic plays Symphony No. 9 at Macky Auditorium. CPR Classical will air the concert on March 23 as part of its 2015-16 live broadcast series.
• May 6: Colorado Chamber Players String Quartets No. 3, 7, and 11 at St. John's Cathedral.

CPR Classical offers its own exploration of Shostakovich and his music each weeknight at 7 this week. Hear recordings by the Pacifica Quartet, Colorado Chamber Players, Trio Con Brio Copenhagen and the Takacs Quartet -- which recently landed on CPR Classical's roundup of 2015's best releases.

For more performances by Colorado Chamber Players and Trio con Brio Copenhagen, check out 2015's best CPR Performance Studio sessions.