What does it take to get an audience out of its seats at a concert? Turns out, it is simply a world-class orchestra coupled with a renowned pianist.

Such was the explosive combination at the Newman Center last Wednesday when the Russian National Orchestra and guest pianist Stephen Hough played to a sold out house.

The Russian National Orchestra is Russia’s first orchestra that operates independent of the government. Its artistic program is led by a group of internationally renowned conductors, including Vladimir Jurowski among them. Since its inception in 1990, the orchestra, under the direction of Mikhail Pletnev, has earned the highest possible accolades, and so it was a delight to have the orchestra perform in Denver.

The concert was part of a U.S. tour that began in California and is headed to New York, with the grand finale taking place in Florida in March. The orchestra was the first Russian orchestra to win a Grammy in 2004 for its recording of “Peter and the Wolf” and “Wolf Tracks.” Thus, the group creates a buzz wherever it goes and Denver was no exception.

Conducted by 35-year-old Vladimir Jurowski, the Russian National Orchestra opened the evening with “Brahm’s Concerto for Piano” and “Orchestra No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15.” Jurowski is a visceral conductor who uses his entire body to muster the most vigorous performance from each musician.

Guest pianist Hough, also regarded as a first-rate performer, responded in turn, matching the charged energy of the orchestra. The result was a complex interplay of piano and orchestra, creating a musical dialogue between the two.

As a writer and composer, Hough has appeared this year with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic while also touring with the Russian National Orchestra. It was a joy to listen to his effortless mastery of the piano and impossible to miss his bright red shoes working the pedals.

The performance ended with Tchaikovsky’s famous Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathetique,” his final work completed a few months before he died in 1893. The music radiated wistful strains as Jurowski led the orchestra through the four movements that comprise the symphony.

The performance clearly moved the audience members. The man sitting next to me was a longtime classical concertgoer and he whispered, “Fabulous,” as the orchestra headed toward the final movement.

The finale was a sonorous groundswell that eventually gave way to a wistful conclusion, taking the audience along with it.

Students who do not take advantage of the discounted tickets offered to them by the Newman Center miss out on many unforgettable musical performances like the Russian National Orchestra.