The San Diego Symphony has reached another milestone with the release of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad," led by Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare. The recording marks a defining moment in the Symphony's evolution—its first release with Delos, the first album recorded to showcase the remarkable acoustics of the renovated Jacobs Music Center, and the first San Diego Symphony recording to debut exclusively on Apple Music Classical before its worldwide digital release on Aug. 28 and CD release on Sept. 11.

Recorded live in May 2025, the performance preserves the electricity of a concert that showcased both the orchestra's technical brilliance and its emotional depth. It also marks another step in the Symphony's growing international profile, making the orchestra's sound available to listeners around the globe.

"The whole point of signing with Delos and partnering with Apple Music Classical is for people around the world to hear the San Diego Symphony," said Payare when the recording was announced. "There are people who don't know the San Diego Symphony is a world-class orchestra, so it's wonderful that we can put ourselves out there for everyone to hear."

A Symphony That Still Speaks to the World

Composed during the Nazi siege of Leningrad, Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony remains one of the defining orchestral works of the 20th century.

Apple Music Classical praised the interpretation for its "broad and nobly serene" opening and the creation of "a deceptive calm" before the famous "invasion" march—an approach that allows the work's immense emotional and dramatic power to unfold with extraordinary impact.

Critical Acclaim Across Borders

The recording has already begun earning international attention. Among its strongest notices is a review in Le Devoir, which praised the San Diego Symphony's playing and Payare's interpretation as one "distinguished for its clarity and power."

As the reviewer observed, "Payare's Shostakovich is not one that shouts or tears at the listener—it crushes."

The review highlights Payare's ability to build overwhelming emotional power through patience, precision and an unrelenting command of the score's architecture.

The result, according to Le Devoir, is a performance in which "the first movement's inexorable crescendo... and above all its final apotheosis... are moments that pierce the soul."

This live recording, captured in May 2025 at the Jacobs Music Center, is quite simply a hi-fi demonstration disc—a magnificent achievement recalling the finest releases from Reference Recordings in the precision of its engineering, its dynamic range, and the richness of its sonic spectrum—especially the bass.

— Le Devoir

For an orchestra whose goal is to share its artistry with audiences around the world, the early response suggests that mission is already succeeding.

Listen on Apple Music Classical

READ MORE: Translation of Le Devoir review