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Heralded as one of the most promising conductors of his generation, Stanislav Kochanovsky leads the highly respected La Fenice Orchestra in a concert featuring works by Mikhail Glinka, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Having conducted at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg and served as Principal Conductor of the State Safonov Philharmonic Orchestra, Kochanovsky has developed an in-depth knowledge of both the symphonic and operatic repertoires. He is, therefore, a superb choice for conducting a programme devoted entirely to Russian compositions at Venice's renowned Gran Teatro La Fenice.

The concert opens with a rendition of Mikhail Glinka's Overture to the opera Ruslan and Ludmilla. It was first performed at the opera's premiere on 9 December 1842 at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St Petersburg. Adapted from a narrative poem by Alexander Pushkin, the opera tells a fantastical tale of love, heroism and magic, following the knight Ruslan's quest to rescue his bride, Ludmilla, from an evil sorcerer. The overture is regarded by many as a fine example of Glinka's compositional skill, brimming with exhilarating, fast-paced melodies. Today, it stands as one of the most popular concert overtures in the orchestral repertoire.

The next piece is Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve Suite. Compiled in 1904 by the composer from orchestral excerpts from his opera Christmas Eve, the suite draws together some of the finest orchestral music from the opera, which premiered in 1895 at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg. The opera is based on Nikolai Gogol's enchanting Yuletide short story of the same name. The orchestral suite preserves the festive magic, exuberance and Ukrainian folklore of the original opera from which it was drawn.

The finale of this all-Russian programme is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13, “Winter Daydreams”. The composer was still a young man when he wrote his first symphony. Completed in 1866, just after he had turned 26, the work was first performed in full on 27 February 1868 in Moscow. Although the symphony highlights Tchaikovsky's gift for lyrical melody, it also has an almost mournful melancholy about the way it evokes the depths of the Russian winter. This is evident from the outset when shimmering violins suggest a tranquil, snow-covered landscape, while a sombre melody based on a Russian folk song gives way, in the final movement, to Tchaikovsky's familiar energetic style.

Venice's La Fenice Opera House is a fitting venue for three orchestral works rich in Russian character and full of passion and imagination, under the baton of a conductor steeped in his country's musical legacy.