On March 24–27, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under Vladimir Spivakov will give three concerts in Samara and Orenburg. The musicians will be hosted on the stages of the regional philharmonic societies. Two diverse programs have been prepared for the audience. The first of them, with the participation of soloists and the Academic Grand Choir “Masters of Choral Singing”, includes only one work – Requiem by the contemporary composer from Wales Karl Jenkins. The second program consists of masterpieces by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (see Events).

Karl Jenkins wrote his Requiem to the memory of his father in 2005. The composer interjects the liturgical Latin text with lyrical Japanese poems in the form of haiku about life and death. The score is written for four soloists (soprano, discant, Japanese shakuhachi flute and harp) and orchestra, which includes the darbuka, daiko and other exotic drums. In 2005, the composer conducted himself the premiere in the United Kingdom; first Russian performance followed five years later. In January 2019, Vladimir Spivakov presented the opus to the Moscow audience closing the Christmas Festival and recorded. Since December 20, 2024, this recording has appeared on streaming platforms. In Samara and Orenburg, the leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Anna Aglatova has been invited to perform the soprano part in the Requiem.

The second concert in Orenburg will feature young cellist Polina Tkhai, the student of the Moscow Central Music Secondary School – Academy of Performing Arts, award winner of the Nutcracker Television Competition for young talents and other All-Russia and international contests (including the Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Saint-Petersburg), winner of the Young Talents of Russia All-Russia Competition (2024), grant-holder of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation and the New Names Foundation, participant of festivals of Vladimir Spivakov, Valery Gergiev, Yury Bashmet, Denis Matsuev, Vadim Repin, Boris Andrianov.

The program includes only masterworks by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. There will be performed excerpts from his ballets, the Polonaise from the opera “Eugene Onegin” and the Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra – a virtuoso piece which is the obligatory part of the final audition at the Tchaikovsky International Competition.