I have always been very lucky with the performers of my works. Our marvellous conductor Yevgeny Mravisnky shows great care and sensitivity in his treatment of my music. Starting with my Fifth, he has been the first to interpret all of my major symphonies. Almost all my chamber works have been first performed by the talented Beethoven Quartet (Dmitry Tsyganov, Vassily Shirinsky, Vadim Borisovsky and Sergei Shirinsky). / I immensely enjoy working with that superb musician David Oistrakh, who performs my Violin Concerto wonderfully. I should also mention the conductors Samuil Samosud, who gave me invaluable help while I was working on my opera Lady Macbeth, Alexander Gauk, Alexander Melik-Pashayev and Natan Rakhlin, the pianists Svyatoslav Richter, Maria Grinberg and Tatiana Nikolayeva, and the singers Nina Dorliak, Zara Dolukhanova, Alexei Maslennikov and Boris Gmyrya, who have been splendid performers of various of my works.