30th Colmar International Festival

In 2018, the 30th edition of the International Festival in Colmar pays tribute to the outstanding pianist and composer Evgeny Kissin. The Festival's Artistic Director Vladimir Spivakov, whose close friendship and cooperation with Evgeny Kissin counts several decades already, first invited the 20-year-old pianist to Colmar in 1992. At the Festival's present edition Evgeny will give several concerts. The Festival in Alsace opens with the pianist's recital on July 4, on July 9 Kissin will perform with the members of the Kopelman-Quartet and Vladimir Spivakov (works by Kissin and Shostakovich), and on July 13 he will play with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under the baton of Vladimir Spivakov. Moreover, on July 11 there will be a poetry evening of Evgeny Kissin, whose multifaceted talent reveals itself not only in piano playing and composing music.

The 30th edition of the Colmar Festival will take place from July 4 to July 14, 2018, and Vladimir Spivakov has invited again most renowned artists from all over the world. The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia will take part in many concerts, while the NPR's soloists will also play in chamber concerts (see the detailed program below). Grigory Sokolov will give his traditional recital on July 12, and on the same day the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia will celebrate the 15th anniversary of its foundation. Other Festival events will feature Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky, Denis Matsuev, Seong-Jin Cho, George Li, Hibla Gerzmava, Vasily Ladyuk, Alexei Neklyudov and others.

Vladimir Spivakov was invited to lead the Colmar Festival in 1989 and has been its permanent Artistic Director and active musician ever since. The main concerts of the Festival are held at the Church of St. Matthew. Prominent soloists, conductors, orchestras, choral collectives and chamber ensembles from different countries, attracted by Vladimir Spivakov, star in the Festival's events. Each Festival edition is dedicated to one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century up to the present time.

Vladimir Spivakov:
I fell in love with Zhenia Kissin once and for all. He was a phenomenal child prodigy, very spontaneous, with an amazing sense of truth. Zhenia was a noble “hidalgo”, even when a little boy. There was not a bit of dishonesty about him - either in talks, or in relations ...
Zhenia played a lot with the "Moscow Virtuosi" Chamber Orchestra, not only on stage, but also in football. And on the day of my 40th birthday in Yerevan, his rendition of Schumann's “Widmung” (Dedication) was so wonderful that I could not hold back my tears. When you see a child who works miracles, it embarasses you. He felt everything intuitively. And he was a marvel ...
Over the years it became clear that Evgeny Kissin had turned into a great artist who widened the technical bounds of pianism. And the artist who creates new laws is not just a talent. He is more than that – he is a genius ...
He is an unusually pure and noble person. He is a Don Quixote in everything. Turgenev's words: "When Don Quixotes cease to exist, the history book will get closed forever: there will be nothing to read in it" - may be referred to Evgeny. He is immersed in himself, in music, when he is within this ocean of sounds and harmony, he needs nothing more in this world. He is very natural. And sincerity is the revelation of a heart.

Evgeny Kissin:
I met Vladimir Teodorovich when I was not yet thirteen. Soon after my debut with two Concertos by Chopin at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Spivakov often invited me to perform with his remarkable orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi” as a soloist. We toured a lot of cities and countries, played Concertos by Mozart, Shostakovich, Haydn, made several joint recordings. When they did not want to let me go abroad, it was Vladimir Teodorovich who made me go with the Virtuosi on a tour to Hungary. When Spivakov's friend and long-time partner pianist Boris Bekhterev decided to leave the Soviet Union, Vladimir Teodorovich bought a Steinway piano from him and gave it to me.


30th Colmar International Festival
Tribute to Evgeny Kissin

July 5, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloists:
Martha Argerich, piano
Sergei Nakariakov, trumpet
Mischa Maisky, cello
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Tchaikovsky. «Italian capriccio»
Tchaikovsky. Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra, Op. 33
Shostakovich. Concerto No. 1 for piano, trumpet and orchestra in С minor, Op. 35
Shostakovich. Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70

July 6, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloist – Alexander Malofeev, piano
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Grieg. “Per Gynt” Siute No. 1, Op. 46
Grieg. Concerto for piano and orchestra in A minor, Op. 16
Prokofiev. Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra in С major, Op. 26

July 7, 21.00 | Concert of chamber music
Martha Argerich, piano
Mischa Maisky, cello
Vladimir Spivakov, violin
Timur Pirverdiev, violin
Andrei Mikhailovsky, clarinet
Beethoven. Sonata No. 5 for cello and piano in D major, Op. 102 No. 2
Debussy. Sonata for cello and piano in D major, L. 135
Franck. Sonata for violin and piano in A major, FWV8
Prokofiev. Overture on Hebrew themes, Op. 34

July 8, 21.00
Vladimir Spivakov, violin*
Pyotr Gladysh, cello*
Nikolai Solonovich, bass guitar*
Dmitry Barkov, vibraphone*
Svetlana Stepchenko, voice*
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloist – Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Kancheli. “Silent Prayer”*
Mozart. Concerto No. 20 for piano and orchestra in D minor, KV 466
Tchaikovsky. Polonaise from the opera «Eugene Onegin»
Chopin. Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra in E minor, Op. 11

July 9, 18.15 | Concert of chamber music
Evgeny Kissin, piano
Vladimir Spivakov, violin
The Kopelman Quartet
Kissin. Four pieces for piano solo: Méditation, Tango dodécaphonique, Intermezzo, Toccata
Kissin. Sonata for piano and cello
Kissin. Quartet
Shostakovich. Trio No. 2 for piano, violin and callo in E minor, Op. 67

July 9, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloist – Daniel Lozakovich, violin
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Mozart. Concerto No. 3 for violin and orchestra in G major, KV 216
Bruch. Concerto No. 3 for violin and orchestra in G minor, Op. 26
Brahms. Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

July 10, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloist – Denis Matsuev, piano
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
feat. David Tkebuchava, drums*
& Andrei Ivanov, bass*
Beethoven. Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra in C minor, Op. 37
Gershwin. «Rhapsody in blue»* for piano and orchestra

July 11, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Hibla Gerzmava, soprano (Tatiana)
Vasily Ladyuk, baritone (Onegin)
Alexei Neklyudov, tenor (Lensky)
Polina Shamaeva, mezzo-soprano (Olga)
Tatiana Spivakova, reciter
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Tchaikovsky – Pushkin. «Eugene Onegin»

July 13, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloist – Evgeny Kissin, piano
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Rachmaninoff. Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra in C minor, Op. 18
Rachmaninoff. Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27

July 14, 21.00
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia
Soloist – George Li, piano
Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov
Rachmaninoff. Vocalise, Op. 31 No. 14
Rachmaninoff. «Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini» for piano and orchestra, Op. 43
Tchaikovsky. Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra in B-flat minor, Op. 23

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