Pavel Kolesnikov joins the newly-formed Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra

Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov joins the Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra on a UK tour, performing Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini at Birmingham Symphony Hall (17 September), Leeds Town Hall (19 September), Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music (21 September) and London's Cadogan Hall (25 September).

Conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig, who founded the orchestra, this bilateral British-Russian orchestra brings together young musicians from conservatoires in both countries, and is built on a common perception of music as a communicating force - Britten and Shostakovich became firm friends, and were said to understand each other perfectly, despite neither one being able to speak the others' language.