Prokofiev and Shostakovich were ambivalent toward one another. Prokofiev accused Shostakovich of "devouring everything" (the fact that the younger composer dared to incorporate the street genres of entertainment music into his classical compositions) and affirmed that Shostakovich had no gift for melody. Shostakovich, for his part, occasionally found Prokofiev's music too crude, too clearly illustrative.


Violinist Natalia Prishepenko came to prominence in three of the most prestigious international competitions: the Paganini in 1990, the Tokyo in 1992, and the Reine Elisabeth de Belgique in 1993. Following these successes, her solo career took flight. From 1994 Natalia Prishepenko was primaria of the Artemis Quartet for eighteen years, traveling the world celebrating success after success.

Pianist Dina Ugorskaja made solo appearances at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, the Philharmonie in Cologne, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Sala Verdi in Milan, and Radio France Auditorium in Paris. She was invited to perform at festivals including the Schubertiade in Feldkirch and the Kassel Music Festival. 2019 marked the 10th anniversary of her fruitful collaboration with the C-Avi Music label. Her recordings have been repeatedly nominated for the International Classical Music Awards and for the German Music Critics' Prize. Her last album with works by Schubert received the ICMA award posthum.