Critical praise and adoration has followed the Russian National Orchestra wherever they have traveled. And now, the RNO will bring their award winning sound to Ames Sunday as part of their 10th year celebration tour. The Russian National Orchestra’s performances have been well received in the United States and all over the world. The Evening Standard in London said, “They played with such captivating beauty that the audience let out an involuntary sigh of pleasure at the end.”The RNO made their debut performance in Moscow in 1990, and since then have been touring around the world, becoming the first Russian orchestra to play at the Vatican and tour Israel. They have also performed in the United States, Asia and Europe, as well as playing for the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival in Atlanta. Directed by Vladimir Spivakov, RNO will be returning to Ames for the second time in three years. Their 1998 performance in Ames received two standing ovations. Mark Laycock, assistant professor of music at Iowa State and director of the ISU Orchestra, called RNO’s appearance this weekend “a wonderful and unique opportunity for us.” He said that the Russian National Orchestra is a “world class orchestra,” and that he hopes the people in Ames would come support them. “The program is one I think students will find irresistible,” he said. Included in the program will be the Suite from Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor. Laycock will also be giving a pre-concert lecture in the Celebrity Cafe in the basement of Stephens Auditorium. He said he would present a 15-minute overview of the program, giving hints of what to listen for and characteristics of the different composers. Patti Cotter, marketing and public relations coordinator at the Iowa State Center, said the RNO’s appearance is the second of the two major orchestral performances the Iowa State Center puts on each year. For more than 30 years, the Ames International Orchestra Festival Association has brought world-class orchestras to Ames. Stephens Auditorium opened in 1969 with a performance by the New York Philharmonic. Cotter also said that seeing the orchestra live is “much more exciting” than listening to a recording. “If you’ve never heard a large orchestra live, its quite different than sitting at home listening to the CD,” she said. Cotter called the performance this Sunday “a bargain for students” with the reduced ticket prices for ISU students. RNO will be performing at Stephens Auditorium on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. Regular ticket prices are $40, $38 and $28 at Ticketmaster, while ISU students can purchase theirs for only $20, $17 and $14.