(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – The Russian String Orchestra, formerly known as the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, will perform works by Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich to kick off the 25th anniversary season of the Close Encounters With Music Series at the Mahaiwe on Saturday, October 15, at 6pm.

The program includes Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet, and Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C, featuring CEWM founder, artistic director and cellist Yehuda Hanani.

Founded in 1991, the orchestra, comprised of some of Russia’s finest young string players, has carved a niche for itself under the creative baton of its founder and music director Misha Rachlevsky.

About half of nearly 2,000 concerts the orchestra has performed to date have taken place in Moscow. The rest were played on tours in 25 countries in North and South America, Europe, and the Far East.

The orchestra’s discography of over 30 CDs has received widespread international acclaim, such as the Diapason d’Or award in France, Critics Choice in London’s Gramophone, Critics Choice in the New York Times, and Record of the Year award in Hong Kong.