The Moscow Symphony Orchestra was established in 1989 under the direction of the distinguished French conductor Antonio de Almeida. The members of the orchestra include prize-winners and laureated of International Competitions, graduates of the conservatories of Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev, who have played under conductors such as Mravinsky, Svetlanov and Roshdestvensky. The orchestra toured Finland and England in 1991 and Spain in 1993. It has a wide repertoire with a particular expertise in the performance of contemporary works.