From December 4 to 7 the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under the baton of Vladimir Spivakov will be touring the Siberian Federal District. Three performances will take place on the stages of the A.M.Katz State Concert Hall of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Society, the House of Scientists in the Novosibirsk Academgorodok and the Grand Hall of the Krasnoyarsk Philharmonic Society (see Events). The tour will be part of the All-Russia Philharmonic Seasons program under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Moscow Philharmonic Society.
Vladimir Spivakov's collective will visit Siberian cities after a long interval: the NPR's last performance was given in Novosibirsk in December 2009, while in Krasnoyarsk – in September 2012.
The NPR's concerts in Novosibirsk will open the 15th edition of the Christmas Arts Festival. The Festival is part of the “Culture” national project, which is one of the largest international forums in the Trans-Ural Region (the project promoters are the “Globe” Novosibirsk Academic Youth Theater, the Novosibirsk Region Ministry of Culture and the Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Society).
On December 4 the Maestro will offer to music lovers one of the NPR's most exquisite and popular programs – “A Corner in France”. Vladimir Spivakov describes the program as a travel to Paris, which will be possible thanks to music. ‘I am well acquainted with France and have been there many a time, also with concerts, and now I feel inclined to «bring» France into Russia. You will hear works by Ibert, Ravel. Fauré and the Carmen-Suite by Rodion Shchedrin, which had been danced by great Maya Plisetskaya… Ibert’s Paris Suite is compiled of very vivid sketches such as suburbs (faubourgs), the underground, and the Île-de-France sea-liner, a restaurant in the Boulogne Forest, a Mosque and a mere street fest. Following Hemingway’s thought that Paris is a movable feast I would add that it is an eternal feast.’
In the Novosibirsk Academgorodok and Krasnoyarsk, the orchestra will be joined by a rising star of performing arts Japanese pianist Shio Okui, awardee of international competitions, grant-holder of the Vladimir Spivakov Charity Foundation. She will play the piano part in Chopin's First Concerto which, in Tchaikovsky's opinion, demands from a pianist “softness and fineness of touch, lyricism, taste and graciousness in details”.
In part 2 in the Novosibirsk Academgorodok and Krasnoyarsk Vladimir Spivakov will present his interpretation of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony. Stravinsky defined this bright lively score, full of authentic Italian melodies, as 'the embodiment of elegance in music'.