Considered today to be one of Russia’s leading orchestras, the Moscow RTSO was formed in 1978 by the composer Alexander Mikyailov, who became its resident conductor. Its eighty members, with numerous international prizewinners among them, ensure a high standard of performance. The orchestra’s first successes came with performances and recordings of the works of twentieth-century Russian composers, such as Sofia Gubaidulina and Dmitry Shostakovich. Its richly varied repertoire which also embraces operatic music includes the works of Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi alongside those of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Since 1991 the orchestra has undertaken four concert tours of Spain. Moreover, the Moscow Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra works with great dedication in organizing activities in the field of musical education for the younger generation – both for children and teenagers and for students. The orchestra regularly stages concerts “For Young People“ in the concert halls of Moscow, while similar series are broadcast over radio and television, with educative introductions by leading Russian musicians. In this way, the orchestra gives its younger listeners a taste for the masterpieces of classical music. By organizing concerts and recordings the orchestra also provides a stepping-stone for talented young soloists and winners of international competitions - among them, the violinists Graf Murzha and Anastasia Chebotareva and the pianist Vadim Rudenko.