This CD has been issued to mark the silver jubilee of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. In the first ten years, this string ensemble was particularly known for its performances of twentieth-century repertoire from Eastern Europe. Under Lev Markiz, the first artistic director, the orchestra presented numerous national and international premieres by composers including Schnittke, Shostakovich, Ustvolskaya, Pärt and Denisov.

Although the repertoire of Amsterdam Sinfonietta has considerably broadened in recent years, it recently presented world premieres by Gubaidulina, Mansoerjan and Vasks. Works by Mieczysław Weinberg have included the west-European premiere of his Concertino in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw in 2009, with the present artistic director Candida Thompson as soloist.

The anniversary recording features Weinberg's Concertino and two now world-famous Chamber Symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich. The three works are not only related by their musical language, but also by a lifelong friendship between the two composers: Shostakovich dedicated his Chamber Symphony opus 118a to Weinberg.

Amsterdam Sinfonietta dedicates this CD recording to all its musical friends - both onstage and backstage - who have helped to bring the ensemble to its present position.