 The most prominent musicians of the Soviet Union – conductors, soloists and composers – worked with the Orchestra.However, due to the special status of the 'closed city' of Sverdlovsk it was 'hidden' from the rest of the world until 1991 when the city was 'opened', and the Orchestra's professional level quickly became known abroad.Based in Yekaterinburg, a 1,5 million city on the border between Europe and Asia, the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra performs over 100 concerts and more than 70 programs per year, both at its domicile, the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Hall, and on its extensive international tours.