The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO), led by Music Director Nicholas Hersh, will perform Beethoven & Klebanov this November 14 & 15, 2025 at 7:30 pm at the Gallo Center for the Arts. The program will open with Simone Porter performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Then the MSO will perform the United States premiere of Dmitri Klebanov’s Symphony No. 1 “In Memoriam Babi Yar”. The program will conclude with John Williams’ A Prayer for Peace.
Klebanov, a Ukrainian composer, wrote his First Symphony in memory of the 1941 massacre of over 30,000 Jewish civilians by occupying German forces at Babi Yar. The performance received a glowing response, but the Soviet government ultimately deemed the piece “anti-Soviet”, Klebanov’s music was rarely heard again and his first symphony was never performed outside of Ukraine. Hersh has been instrumental in rediscovering Klebanov’s First Symphony and bringing it to the United States. Hersh initially learned about the piece in early 2023 and began transcribing and editing the piece from scans of the original transcripts. Since then, Hersh has been in contact with Klebanov’s granddaughter and had the privilege of showing her early drafts of the score and hearing stories of her grandfather.
The rediscovery of Klebanov’s music underscores the enduring power of art to preserve memory and give voice to those who have suffered. Across generations and cultures, music and art have served as a testament to loss, resilience, and humanity in the face of violence and suppression—reminding us that stories carried through art resonate far beyond the moment in which they were created.
“The more I worked on the symphony, the more I came to understand how remarkable and affecting this music is. Soaring melodies and powerful orchestration combine with a bold harmonic palette to create a symphonic experience that is truly epic in its scope. Its censorship was shameful, and now more than ever it deserves its place in the concert hall—it is an honor to introduce a new generation of listeners to Dmitri Klebanov,” says Music Director Nicholas Hersh.
“I am beyond grateful to my friend and colleague Simone Porter for joining us for this important program, which considers the aftermath of war and the virtue of peace,” Hersh continues. “From the militaristic opening drumbeats of Beethoven's beloved Violin Concerto, to the outbursts of grief and rage in Klebanov's memorial to the victims of inhuman violence, and finally to the aching refrains of John Williams' exhortation for peace between peoples, these concerts promise to be a provocative and moving meditation on conflicts past and present.”
Simone Porter will be performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto replacing originally scheduled guest violinist Amaryn Olmeda who was to perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5. This will be Ms. Porter’s second performance with the Modesto Symphony following her 2023 performance of Barber’s Violin Concerto.