Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 7 (Rafael Payare)

Information

Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

• Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op. 60, “Leningrad”

San Diego Symphony Orchestra

Rafael Payare, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Delos

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Under the leadership of Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra has experienced a remarkable artistic expansion, showcasing its evolving repertoire and distinctive sound. This new era of music-making is vividly captured in a landmark collaboration with Delos featuring Dmitry Shostakovich’s monumental Symphony No. 7, the "Leningrad." Recorded live during the inaugural concerts at the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center, this powerful performance marks the historic first recording in the venue's upgraded acoustics. Composed during the brutal wartime siege, Shostakovich’s emotionally supercharged masterpiece serves as a thrilling introduction to the orchestra's exciting new recording partnership.

Born in 1980 in Barcelona, Venezuela, Rafael Payare began his musical journey as a horn player in El Sistema at age 14, later becoming Principal Horn of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. Mentored by José Antonio Abreu, Lorin Maazel, and Krzysztof Penderecki, he transitioned to conducting and has since led major Venezuelan and international orchestras. Winner of the 2012 Malko Conducting Competition, Payare has appeared with top ensembles across the U.S. and Europe, including the Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony, and New York Philharmonic. Also active in opera, he has conducted at Covent Garden and Glyndebourne. He lives in San Diego and Montreal with cellist Alisa Weilerstein.

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