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Galina Ustvolskaya. Photo courtesy of Boosey & Hawkes

A Russian invasion of the UK gets off to a flying start at the Royal Academy of Music in London on 26 January. Dreams and Reflections, a four-day festival featuring 200 years of Russian music will be centred on composer Galina Ustvolskaya, one time close friend and favoured pupil of Dmitri Shostakovich. So high was Dmitri Dmitriyevich's regard for her talent that he presented her with several of his manuscripts and used themes from her music in his compositions. Now in her 80th year, she has been described as 'a composer like no other'. Her works usually have a religious context.

The festival developed from two main sources: Paul Patterson's Contemporary Music Festivals at the RAM which have featured composers such as Messiaen, Ligeti and Lutoslawski; and a request to Russian music expert Gerard McBurney to present ideas for concerts to introduce lesser-known and unusual repertoire to the students. Input was received from the Principal Curtis Price – whose idea it was to feature Ustvolskaya –, fellow professionals and students. The end result is Dreams and Reflections running from 26 - 29 January.

As an academic studies lecturer, McBurney takes a course on 20th-century Soviet music for 3rd and 4th year students. His enthusiasm for Russian music stems from the time when he was a private pupil of pianist Susan Bradshaw.

'In the late 60's she was the first UK professional to show an interest in contemporary Russian composers', he reminisces. 'She commissioned a piano duet from Denisov for herself and Richard Rodney Bennett. I met Schnittke in her house'.

McBurney has family connections in Russia and studied with Roman Ledenyov at the Moscow Conservatoire in the early 80's. The Russian connection is kept alive by 'a stream of British musicians studying there with government scholarships'.

During the festival several composers will be in attendance to hear the students perform this vast panoply of music:

Felix Yanov-Yanovsky is travelling from Uzbekistan where he is senior composition teacher at the Conservatoire in Tashkent. Born in 1934, McBurney describes him as an 'inspired, cultured man'. One concert will feature the UK première of his Concerto Semplice.

Viktor Ekimovsky - a Muscovite - will hear the world première of his Trumpets of Jericho. Written in 1970 for 30 brass instruments, it was banned by the authorities. 'A mission of mine has been to get a performance of the work in this country', says McBurney. Also present will be UK residents, Smirnov and Vladislav Shoot. Smirnov's Set me as a seal ... will be given its world première and Shoot's Epitaph will be given its UK première (both on 27th).

The festival opens with a lunchtime concert in St. Marylebone Parish Church with music by Glinka, Borodin and two late 18th-century serf composers: Berezovsky and Bortniansky. Both were sent to Italy to study and so successful was Berezovsky that he was able to buy his freedom on returning to Russia. McBurney calls him 'the first freelance composer'.

'This did him no good at all', he goes on, 'as his music was black-balled! He couldn't get paid as music was provided free by other serf composers'.

The evening concert on the 26th contains music by non-Jewish composers such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Karetnikov based on Jewish klezmer music which has played an important role in the musical tradition of the country. The only Jewish composer represented will be Krein who led a revival of Jewish music earlier this century. 'For Russians, Jewish music presents a terrible history', remarks McBurney.

On the 27th, a programme of chamber music will feature music by Gubaidulina, Stravinsky, Shoot, Ledenyov, Yanov-Yanovsky, and a Piano Quintet written by Medtner when he was living in Hampstead.

The 28th is devoted to Ustvolskaya, and contains three UK premières of her music.

The festival ends with two concerts: music written as memorials to Shostakovich, Dylan Thomas, Stravinsky, Schnittke and Rubenstein; and the Royal Academy Soloists performing works which include Pärt and Schnittke.

Running throughout the four days will be talks, discussions and films. The latter includes Barrie Gavin's The Fire and The Rose: a portrait of Sophia Gubaidulina and Giving Voice, where Russian composers discuss tradition and the meaning of composition whereby a secret musical language was developed conveying symbolism and political resistance.

Admission to all events is by ticket only. Tickets are free and available from the RAM Box Office on +44 (0)171 873 7300 (Mon-Fri 10am-12pm; 2-3pm GMT). www.ram.ac.uk

Watch this space for 'St Petersburg: Romance and Revolution' at the Barbican Centre; and the Rachmaninov Festival on the South Bank.

Copyright © Shirley Ratcliffe, 25 January 1999