The I. Stravinsky String Quartet will open the XXII International Music Festival in Vitebsk

December 2, Vitebsk /Sergey Kochetov - BELTA/. The performance by the I. Stravinsky String Quartet and one of Russia's leading pianists, Igor Uryash, will open the program of the XXII I. Sollertinsky International Music Festival in Vitebsk today. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the regional philharmonic society. The musicians will present a program at the festival that includes works by Dmitry Shostakovich, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Robert Schumann. This year, the poster of the traditional classical music forum includes ten concert programs of a diverse genre palette, from symphonic music to ballet. Musicians from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, France, Israel, Finland, Norway, and Venezuela will take part in the festival. In addition, the XII Scientific Readings of the I. Sollertinsky Festival and the XX International Chagall Readings will be held during the forum. The festival organizers have prepared many surprises for classical music lovers. For the first time, the art of ballet will be presented at the festival, which will be combined with classical piano music on the stage of the regional philharmonic society. For the first time, musicians from Venezuela, Finland, and Norway will be participants of the Vitebsk festival. This year, the organizers decided to establish a tradition of inviting talented students from Vitebsk music educational institutions to the festival. A concert by the orchestra of Russian folk instruments and the orchestra of accordions from the music colleges of the Vitebsk region is planned for one of the festival evenings. In general, the festival's concert events can be conditionally divided into peculiar categories - "Dmitry Shostakovich's Page," "Russian Performing School Abroad," "New Names of the Festival," and "Frederic Chopin's Anniversary." The festival will conclude with an organ music concert by the laureate of international competitions Eduard Oganesyan (France), which will take place on December 22. The event is organized by the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the City Executive Committee, and the state concert institution "Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic Society." The string quartet was founded in 1992 as the New Philharmonic Quartet, and since 1999, the ensemble has borne the name of the great Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The quartet constantly performs in the best concert halls of St. Petersburg and has successfully toured many countries around the world, including being the first Russian musical ensemble honored to perform at the eternal flame of the memorial to the victims of the nuclear bombing in Hiroshima (Japan). The ensemble constantly participates in charity and cultural events. The quartet includes Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Shustin (first violin), Viktor Lisnyak (second violin), Honored Artist of Russia Daniil Meerovich (viola), and laureate of international competitions Semen Kovarsky (cello). -0-