On this day in 1962, Dmitri Shostakovich completed his 13th Symphony, often referred to as simply Babi Yar.  

The Symphony was premiered in Moscow in December 1962, but it wasn’t until February 1979 that Manchester audiences heard this epic choral symphony. As part of the Hallé’s programmed season at the Free Trade Hall, we welcomed our friends at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra to perform the work, under the baton of Lawrence Foster. Their programmed also included music by Prokofiev and Beethoven.