Grammy-nominee Dmitry Yablonsky will conduct the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra Tuesday at the Keith Albee Theatre.

Yablonsky, music conductor laureate, says the performance will feature some original commissions of the orchestra, in particular “The Khojaly Requiem” by Alexander Tchaikovsky.

“It is a very powerful, very sad piece,” Yablonsky said. “I wanted to pay respect to those people.”

The piece pays homage to the Khojaly Massacre, which involved the hostage of 1275 people and the death of over 613 Azerbaijani civilians.

Yablonsky said the “genocide” in the town of Khojaly was a widely publicized tragedy at the time of it’s incidence in February of 1992.

Two other pieces have been released as part of the night’s program, including Saint Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2.

Yablonski was born in Moscow, Russia to a musically inclined family, leading him to seek success playing in academia at Juilliard School of Music and Yale.

Yablonsky said he enjoys making olive oil at his home in Israel as a “hobby,” although he said that he finds the subject relatable to his musical profession.

“You get to plant a seed and then see then see the olive tree,” Yablonsky said.

Thirteen-year-old Danielle Akta is also accompanying the tour as cello soloist, and will be featured specifically in Cello Concerto No. 1.

“When she plays she smiles,” Yablonsky said, who invited Akta to the tour.

Akta, starting around four-years-old like Yablonsky, has played with other orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic and the Ashdod Symphony.

Ryan Fischer can be contacted at [email protected].