Deserving to be Heard

Ending the Long Silence of Klebanov’s Symphony No. 1

Buried by censorship for decades, a long-lost Ukrainian symphony finally finds its voice again. Join us this November as the Modesto Symphony presents the United States premiere of Dmitri Klebanov’s moving Symphony No. 1 “In Memoriam Babi Yar” and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Dmitri Klebanov, a Ukrainian composer, wrote his First Symphony in 1945 in memory of the 1941 massacre of over 30,000 Jewish civilians by occupying German forces at Babi Yar. The premiere received a glowing response, but the Soviet government condemned the piece and silenced Klebanov’s music, leading to his First Symphony never being performed outside of Ukraine.

Now, nearly eighty years later, MSO Music Director Nicholas Hersh has helped rediscover this symphony. Hersh came across Klebanov’s name in early 2023 while searching for Ukrainian composers whose music deserved to be heard again. Through international connections, he located scans of the original handwritten score and began the careful process of transcribing and editing it so modern orchestras could perform it once more. This November, Hersh and the MSO will perform its United States premiere and our audiences will be the first to hear this remarkable piece after it was pushed aside for decades.

Klebanov’s music feels dramatic, colorful, and full of heart. You might hear echoes of Beethoven or Shostakovich—two composers Klebanov admired—but his voice is uniquely his own: bold, lyrical, and deeply human. The opening movement begins with a dark, powerful theme that soon gives way to warmer, more nostalgic melodies that suggest both memory and hope.

The second movement is lively and sharp-edged, while the third—a solemn funeral march—features one of the symphony’s most haunting moments: a wordless solo sung by a contralto voice, like an echo from another time. The final movement bursts with energy and emotion. The opening theme returns transformed—what began in mourning rises into a radiant brass fanfare, full of triumph and renewal. It’s a moment that speaks not only to history, but to resilience itself.

“Klebanov’s Symphony No. 1 is truly remarkable,” says Music Director Nicholas Hersh. “Its melodies soar, its harmonies surprise, and its emotions are as raw now as ever. This music was silenced unjustly, and now it’s finally getting the spotlight it deserves.”

The Resilience of Beethoven's Violin Concerto

Simone Porter, performing Barber’s Violin Concerto April 2023

Our November concerts will pair Klebanov’s symphony with Beethoven’s beloved Violin Concerto, performed by violinist Simone Porter, and John Williams’ A Prayer for Peace. Together, these works create a program that speak to the enduring power of hope.

Today, we know Beethoven’s Violin Concerto to be one of the most impactful and popular works for the violin. However, its premiere in 1806 was so unsuccessful that it was rarely performed for nearly 40 years. It wasn’t until Felix Mendelssohn revived the piece that it received the attention it deserved and fortified its place amongst the greats of the violin repertoire. While this concerto went unheard for a very different reason than Klebanov’s symphony, together they remind us that music can survive anything: censorship, conflict, and decades of silence.

Join the Modesto Symphony Orchestra as we perform the U.S. premiere of Dmitri Klebanov’s Symphony No. 1 and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Don’t miss this rare and meaningful musical event as we celebrate the power of music to heal, remember, and inspire.