The Youth's Scene / Shosta 5 x NOSPR Academy - NOSPR

This year’s NOSPR Academy programme features a unique and immersive reinterpretation of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, adapted for a 19-piece ensemble. Conceived by conductor Néstor Bayona, the performance transforms the symphonic work into a narrative journey that reflects the emotional and artistic evolution of a musician–from childhood to adulthood–told entirely without words. 

Through carefully chosen movements of the symphony, the production blends live music with theatricality, dance, lighting, and visual projections. Two children take part on stage, symbolising the beginning of the musical path, while performers dressed in white become a living part of the scenography, integrated through projected imagery and movement. 

The performance gradually evolves from the format of a traditional concert into a highly choreographed, multisensory experience. The programme is enriched by a selection of chamber works orchestrated by Bayona that deepen the storytelling: Stravinsky’s Ragtime, Cinq doigts and Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata. Each section is shaped not only by the original score but also by moments of improvisation, playful spatial exploration, and emotional contrasts–ranging from joy to chaos, reflection to confrontation. 

Adding a surprising twist, the music of American composer John Adams briefly pierces the atmosphere with relentless energy, creating a rupture in the narrative flow before returning to the intimate world of the children. The finale builds towards the striking conclusion of Shostakovich’s Fifth, where the ensemble breaks the fourth wall and directly confronts the audience, raising timeless questions about art, identity, and resilience. 

More than a concert, this is a story told through sound, light, and movement–a poetic exploration of growth, memory, and artistic transformation.