Sochi has become the cultural centre of the country: the XVII Winter International Arts Festival under the direction of People’s Artist Yuri Bashmet has begun in the resort. What novelties and world premieres will please the audience, the organizers reported.
“It is wonderful that with such overanshlagami are all the concerts of the festival – phenomenal audience excitement – the day before during a press conference said the director of the Russian Concert Agency Dmitry Grinchenko. – Of course, event tourism is great, but one musician asked us to change his flight: today there are no tickets from Moscow to Sochi. During the festival Sochi becomes the cultural center of the country. The festival means creative achievements and the arrival of famous artists”.
Traditionally, the festival has gathered the best concerts of academic, jazz, ethnic music, masterpieces of ballet, drama, exhibitions, marathons and children’s programs. For two weeks Sochi residents and guests of the resort will be able to attend at least two concerts a day, as well as participate in educational and enlightening projects.
“For 17 consecutive years we have held our festival in Sochi,” said artistic director Yuri Bashmet. – It is with great pleasure that we return with our artists every year
to your hospitable city. The greatest achievement for us is that a whole generation of listeners and viewers has grown up on symphonic music. Expanding the horizons and interests of young audiences, introducing them to art is what gives us the inspiration to develop the festival program every year, including educational events.
The festival started at the main venue in the Winter Theater on February 14 with an evening of romances and Russian folk songs performed by opera singer Ildar Abdrazakov. The next day saw the performance “Don’t Leave Your Planet” based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story “The Little Prince” with the participation of actor Konstantin Khabensky. This production was born during the festival in Sochi in 2016 and since then has been going on with an unchanging full house. Today, a gala gala concert of the festival opening will be held. German opera diva Simone Kermes, pianist Denis Matsuev, and Yuri Bashmet will perform for the audience. Performers from China will also take to the stage. The program includes a retrospective of the best examples of academic music.
“For the 17th time we are holding this large-scale event, which lasts ten days, but there are enough emotions for a whole year,” added Viktoria Lapina, Minister of Culture of the Krasnodar Region. – The festival opens new names every year. We are already preparing for the jubilee, XX festival, the boundaries of which have been expanded, and creative people are only added”.
This year Bashmet’s festival runs from February 14 to 25 at four venues – the Winter Theater, the Hall of Organ and Chamber Music, the building of the Sochi sea station and the cultural center “Amphitheater” in the resort “Krasnaya Polyana”. In addition, the festival will host a school for young journalists writing about culture, a school for young producers and a photography school, as well as meetings of the Professional Listener’s Club.In the genre of dramatic theater at this festival there will be two premieres at once. The first is the play “The Soborians. Pictures of Russian Life” based on Nikolai Leskov will take place on February 20 on the stage of the Winter Theater. This is a joint project of the Winter International Arts Festival and the Nikolai Gogol Moscow Drama Theater. Another premiere of the festival will be held on February 23 – the play “Hidden People” staged by the famous director Victor Kramer and with Sergei Garmash and Kristina Babushkina in the main roles.
On February 21 the festival in Sochi for the second time will be visited by conductor Theodor Kurentzis, on February 22 – an evening of jazz with Igor Butman, on February 24 – an evening of ballet with Svetlana Zakharova, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, and on February 25 – a closing gala concert.
