Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 (Semyon Bychkov)

Information

Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

• Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47
• Symphony No. 7 in C Major, Op. 60 "Leningrad"

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Semyon Bychkov, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Pentatone

_____________________

Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic present a powerful PENTATONE release pairing Dmitri Shostakovich’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies, two works deeply personal to the conductor. Having grown up in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) steeped in the composer’s legacy, Bychkov brings a lifelong connection to this music; his personal tie to the Seventh Symphony is further heightened by his mother’s survival of the 900-day siege of Leningrad. The album expands the acclaimed collaboration between Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic, following their celebrated Pentatone recordings of Mahler’s complete symphonic cycle, Smetana’s Má vlast, and late Dvořák symphonies.

Soviet-born American conductor Semyon Bychkov (b. 1952) studied in Leningrad before emigrating to the United States in 1975. Following early directorships in Grand Rapids and Buffalo, his career expanded rapidly through major guest engagements with the Berlin and New York Philharmonics, leading to leadership posts with the Orchestre de Paris, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Dresden Semperoper, and Czech Philharmonic. Beginning in August 2026, he assumes the role of Music Director Designate of the Paris Opera. Honored as Conductor of the Year by Musical America in 2022, Bychkov regularly conducts the world's elite orchestras and opera houses, renowned for his structural command and musicality.