The jubilee International Music Festival named after I.I. Sollertinsky will be held in Vitebsk
The I.I. Sollertinsky International Music Festival turns 25 years old.
In one of the St. Petersburg newspapers, musicians of world renown who performed in Vitebsk shared their impressions and were genuinely surprised: how does a small Belarusian city, which doesn't even have an opera house, manage to sustain such a festival for many years, and at the highest level? Indeed, over the quarter-century, its participants have included representatives of the artistic elite, whose concerts are difficult to attend in other countries and cities, and tickets sell out months in advance.
The phenomenon lies primarily in the name of our countryman Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky, who is still revered by all musicians. His son, Dmitry Sollertinsky, who heads the St. Petersburg Society of Dmitry Shostakovich, also provides great assistance in inviting artists. However, as noted by Stanislav Generalnitsky, chief specialist of the Department of Culture, Ideological Work, and Youth Affairs of the Regional Executive Committee, when forming the program, it is necessary to adjust to the musicians' touring schedules, which is why the Vitebsk festival stretches for almost a month. This year, it will take place from December 1 to 22.
The concert poster will undoubtedly attract classical music lovers. It is difficult to single out any particular program, as all are unique in their own way. Within the framework of the festival, four laureates of the Tchaikovsky International Competition will perform at the regional philharmonic: Nikolai Lugansky, Vadim Rudenko, Alexander Knyazev, and Liana Isakadze.
Liana is described as a Georgian violinist with the appearance of Audrey Hepburn and the talent of Niccolò Paganini. As noted by the organizers, she will be a highlight of the festival. Alexander Knyazev will bring interesting programs to Vitebsk, performing in two capacities again, as a cellist and an organist. He will perform Dvořák's concerto and Bach's Goldberg Variations. Legend has it that the musician wrote them for the Russian ambassador to Saxony as a sleep aid, as he complained of insomnia. Over time, these variations, named after their performer, a student of Bach, became the pinnacle of philosophical music. They can be heard in the cult film "The Silence of the Lambs". Alexander Knyazev will perform this composition, originally written for harpsichord, on the organ. This will be a premiere, three weeks earlier than in Moscow.
Two virtuosos of piano music, Nikolai Lugansky and Vadim Rudenko, will perform on the philharmonic stage on December 19. The organizers advise not to miss the concert by the ensemble of soloists "Classic-Avant-garde" under the direction of Vladimir Baidov, who, incidentally, was one of the founders of the festival. The musicians have prepared the program "Letters about Music", dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the birth of Michał Ogiński. Vocal art will be presented by Ivo Yordanov from Bulgaria, a laureate of many international competitions. His baritone is considered the sixth best in the world. The piano part will be performed by the talented Belarusian pianist Yuri Blinov.
The festival will officially open on December 3, the birthday of I. I. Sollertinsky, but before that, two concerts will take place, which can be considered a kind of prelude to the music forum. On December 1, the stage of the Philharmonic will feature Ksenia Pogorelaya, an organist and soloist of the Polotsk Cathedral Concert Hall, and Susanne Ehrhardt, a flutist from Germany. On December 2, teachers and students of the I. I. Sollertinsky Vitebsk Music College will perform. The festival program will conclude on December 22 with one of St. Petersburg's most famous ensembles – the Chamber Choir of the Smolny Cathedral.
Traditionally, within the framework of the music meetings in Vitebsk, scientific readings will be held. As noted by Nelly Matsaberidze, the artistic director of the regional philharmonic society, this year they are dedicated to several topics: the history and current state of Vitebsk's musical culture, Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky, and topical issues of art history. Attention will be paid to the 100th anniversary of the patriarch of Belarusian music, Anatoly Bogatyrev.
As part of the festival, an exhibition of photographs by Dmitry Shostakovich, the grandson of the famous musician, will open at the Vitebsk Center for Modern Art.
Tatyana Pasternak, "Vitebskiye Vesti"