St. Louis Symphony - Shostakovich's 15th: Rebellion and Reckoning

By Sam Wisman

Published December 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM CST

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performs at Powell Hall. — St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performs at Powell Hall, March 2022

Clara Schumann’s Three Romances are wistful and intimate, gracefully opening this concert led by frequent SLSO guest conductor John Storgårds, and Cellist Kian Soltani performs Haydn’s Cello Concerto. Then, a musical kaleidoscope takes shape in Shostakovich’s final symphony.

An agreement with the St. Louis Symphony allows us to share audio for this program up to two weeks after the program's original air date. You can find more episodes here.

Host

Rod Milam
St. Louis Public Radio

Commentator

Lauren Eldridge Stewart
Assistant Professor of Music at Washington University

Conductor

John Storgårds

Program

Clara Wieck Schumann's Three Romances for Orchestra after Three Romances for violin and piano, Op. 22 (First SLSO performances)
orch. by Benjamin de Murashkin

Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major
Kian Soltani, cello (SLSO debut)

Reza Vali's The Girl From Shiraz (Encore 1)
Kian Soltani, cello

Kian Soltani's Persian Fire Dance (Encore 2)
Kian Soltani, cello

Backstage intermission interviews
John Storgårds, conductor
Phil Ross, associate principal oboe
Kian Soltani, cello soloist

Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141

These broadcasts are produced by St. Louis Public Radio and made possible in partnership with St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.