Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic to Celebrate 25th Anniversary with Jubilee Project
Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The jubilee project "Five Evenings with the Philharmonic", dedicated to this event, will take place at the end of May.
Within the framework of the jubilee project "Five Evenings with the Philharmonic", dedicated to its 25th anniversary, evenings of symphonic, vocal, chamber music, and a national art evening will be held from May 25 to 29. The concert of the symphony orchestra under the direction of Vladimir Belyavsky of the Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic will be held outdoors for the first time, in the open air in the philharmonic's courtyard. Thus, the philharmonic revives the tradition of street concerts, which was very popular in Vitebsk in 1919-21, during the existence of the city symphony orchestra under the direction of Nikolai Malko. Within the project, events dedicated to the anniversaries of the philharmonic's ensembles will be held: a concert of the balalaika octet "Vitebsk Virtuosos" "40 Years on Stage" and a concert of the ensemble "Talaka", dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the ensemble.
The project "Five Evenings with the Philharmonic" will conclude with a grand gala concert closing the XXV concert season with the participation of artists and ensembles of the philharmonic.
The Philharmonic Society's birthday is considered May 22, 1989, when the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee adopted a resolution on its establishment (on the basis of the touring and concert department of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society for the Vitebsk region) with the aim of promoting classical music, national and world performing schools. The Philharmonic Society is located in the old building of the former Palace of Culture of the Department of Consumer Services for the Population on the current Lenin Square, in the historical center of the city.
Once this was Smolenskaya Bazaar Square, and this prominent building housed the City Theater: it was opened in 1873-74 by the Vitebsk governor Pavel Yakovlevich Rostovtsev. It was said about the Vitebsk Theater that it could well compete with the theaters of large cities. In January 1874, Emperor Alexander II approved its new name – the Rostovtsev Theater, and from the autumn of 1920 it became the Provincial Exemplary Theater. The Vitebsk Theater successfully operated until the war of 1941, then the troupe was evacuated to Uralsk. After the war, only ruins remained of the theater building... Three decades later, in 1957, a new building in the style of "Stalinist Empire", designed by architect A. Efremyonok, was built on the site of the city theater, and the Philharmonic Society was located in it 25 years ago.
Today, outstanding creative ensembles are fruitfully working in this stronghold of musical art: the symphony orchestra (conducted by Vladimir Belyavsky), the ensemble of dance, music and song "Talaka" (conducted by Nikolai Podolyak), the balalaika octet "Vitebsk Virtuosos" (conducted by Honored Artist of Belarus Tamara Shafranova). Vocal art is represented by soloists Oksana Novikova, Elena Grakova, Leonid Kozharsky, Alesya Bizunkova, Alena Papko, Julietta Tarahchyan, performing mastery – Vladislav Mitsenko (violin), Tatiana Movlya (cimbalom), Gennady Emelyanov (guitar). All of them actively tour in Belarus and abroad,
About a thousand concerts a year in various parts of the region and the republic, programs for children and adults, organ subscription series, a series of programs for pregnant women “Weaving the Soul from Notes”, youth educational projects (“Christmas Music Academy”, the project “Welcoming Summer with Music” for Children's Day), the I.I. Sollertinsky International Music Festival, the project “St. Petersburg Philharmonic – to Vitebsk” – this is the Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic today. It is within its walls that you can hear unique musical instruments – a concert grand piano from “Steinway & Sons” and a pipe organ from the German firm “Glatter - G?tz” (the second in Belarus, not located in a church).
Leading performers and ensembles from Russia, Belarus, and countries near and far perform on the Philharmonic stage. Thanks to the concert activities of the regional philharmonic, the Vitebsk public and city guests can hear world-class stars of classical and contemporary music.
Tatyana Solovyova
Source: ANTRAKT.BY