Russian National Orchestra

The Moscow-based Russian National Orchestra was founded in 1990 by world-famous Russian pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. One of the first Russian orchestras to be established separately from the state, the Pletnev-led RSO rose to become one of the world's leading orchestras, on top of becoming the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel. The orchestra has also earned multiple awards for its recordings, including a 2004 Grammy award for a recording of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with narration by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev. The RSO's 1991 recording of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony "Pathetique" was named by Gramophone as the best recording of the work in history.