The Gohrisch International Shostakovich Days defied the heat and enjoyed a great response. According to festival director Tobias Niederschlag, there were only a few cancellations from visitors who had booked tickets in advance. However, dozens of tickets were still sold at the box office. The festival, honoring composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975), has been attracting music lovers from near and far since Thursday. Exact attendance figures were not yet available on Thursday afternoon, as the closing concert was still underway.
Shostakovich is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century. He left behind a diverse body of work comprising 15 symphonies, instrumental concertos, operas, film scores, vocal works, and chamber music. His works are an integral part of the global concert scene. He stayed in Gohrisch twice, where a guest house belonging to the GDR government was located. In 1960, he composed his 8th String Quartet here—a very personal work considered to be his personal reckoning with Stalin. Since 2010, the Shostakovich Days in Gohrisch have been held in cooperation with the Staatskapelle Dresden.
