The concert hall of the Vitebsk Music College named after I.I. Sollertinsky welcomed its first listeners

The concert hall at the Vitebsk State Musical College named after I.I. Sollertinsky has been solemnly reopened after major renovations. This significant event marks a new chapter in the history of one of Belarus's oldest educational institutions, which will celebrate its 95th anniversary in 2014.

The Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee allocated two billion rubles for the extensive renovation work, as well as for the purchase of 350 concert seats, which is the capacity of the new hall.

— Over the eight months of the renovation, the hall's ceiling structures and stage were replaced, and most importantly, one of the most complex tasks was accomplished – excellent acoustic parameters were achieved, which is a crucial characteristic of a concert hall. Furthermore, significant funds were allocated by the Regional Executive Committee for the purchase of an upright piano and six Yamaha pianos, which are high-class instruments, as well as a large concert drum and a xylophone,— said Anatoly Gretsky, Director of the Musical College named after I.I. Sollertinsky.

The sound of live voices and musical instruments in the new hall was first appreciated by the audience on March 21 during a grand celebratory concert. The concert featured creative ensembles and soloists from the college, who are laureates of international and republican competitions and festivals, and recipients of scholarships from the Special Fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus for the Support of Talented Youth.

Before the concert program began, students and faculty of the college were congratulated by Larisa Olenskaya, Deputy Head of the Main Department of Ideological Work, Culture, and Youth Affairs of the Regional Executive Committee. In this solemn setting, she presented honorary awards from the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee to young talented musicians and college students Kirill Yachmenev, Anna Sharkun, and Igor Mrochko.

Larisa Olenskaya sincerely wished creative success to the Musical College named after I.I. Sollertinsky and expressed her hope that this educational institution will always be a cradle for new stars of classical art.

In the college's new concert hall, as Anatoly Gretsky noted, a series of concerts dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus will be held, and at the end of November, the I.I. Sollertinsky Vitebsk State Musical College will invite guests to the celebrations on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the educational institution.

Nataliya Krupitsa, "Vitbichi"