According to Slovenian composer Nina Šenk, “Changing” begins with a single note, to which new material is gradually “added.” She describes the development of her orchestral piece as “breathing in and out.” Born in Yerevan in 1920, Alexander Arutyunyan is one of the most important and most frequently performed composers of the 20th century in his Armenian homeland, alongside Aram Khachaturian. His trumpet concerto is his best-known work in the rest of the world, referring to Armenian folklore in a spirited and colorful way. It will be performed here by the award-winning Norwegian Tine Thing Helseth.

The atmosphere changes drastically in the second part of the concert with Dmitri Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. While composing it, he lived in constant fear of being abducted by Stalin's secret police, suffered from depression and had suicidal thoughts. His Fifth Symphony, which he composed far from Leningrad in Crimea, was everything to him. With this composition, the disgraced composer wanted to prove that he was an artist loyal to the party line. The work was a huge success in 1937 and is still controversial today. Whether subversive or not, triumphant or revealing death march – Shostakovich was humiliated, but at least saved for the time being.