The Ryazan First Edition of the “Vladimir Spivakov Invites” Festival

On March 18-20, Ryazan will host the Vladimir Spivakov Invites” Festival for the first time (see Events). The music forum is sponsored by the Ryazan Region's government and is connected with the festivities on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Ryazan Philharmonic Society. The history of the Russian editions of the Vladimir Spivakov Festival goes back to 2001 when the maestro organized the music feast in Moscow with the participation of world stars and rising artists to take place once in two years. In the course of time, the project has extended its boundaries beyond Moscow and went to many other Russian towns from Murmansk to Omsk. Now Ryazan is continuing this trend.

The official birthday of the Ryazan Philharmonic Society is March 4, 1939. Now it is an actively developing organization with a long history and new daring prospects. Its concert hall in Ryazan has presented best Russian performers and collectives to its audience. The NPR has also played on this stage many a time.

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XII Moscow Musical Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites…”

The 12th edition of the Moscow Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites...” will take place from October 6 to December 16, 2023, on the stages of the Moscow Performing Arts Center and the Zaryadye Hall. The forum, organized by the outstanding violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov, has become a bright example of a successful project having its own style, priorities and constantly growing audience. “To me the most important is not so much the number of festival concerts as the occasion to show in Moscow the things I love myself, something new, of various genres and styles, unique and prodigious.”

As usually, the main part of the programs will be presented by Vladimir Spivakov with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia and two – with the “Moscow Virtuosi” State Chamber Orchestra. Among the soloists, there will appear soprano Hibla Gerzmava, pianists Ekaterina Mechetina, Philipp Kopachevsky and Shio Okui, soprano Ekaterina Morozova, mezzo-soprano Julia Mennibaeva, baritone Igor Golovatenko and others.

The Festival will open with one of the most loved NPR's programs “A Corner in France”, admired both in the capital and in many other Russian towns. Vladimir Spivakov has always been known as a connoisseur of the French culture, and now he will again entertain music fans with exquisite interpretations of masterpieces by Georges Bizet (as arranged by Rodion Schedrin), Gabriel Fauré, Jacques Ibert and Maurice Ravel.

Famed orchestral miniatures by Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy will continue the French theme at the Zaryadye Hall on October 27. Francis Poulenc's witty virtuosic opus will be also performed – Concerto for two pianos and orchestra in which the soloists will be Ekaterina Mechetina, a Merited Artist of the Russian Federation, and Philipp Kopachevsky, an award-winner of many international competitions. The apex of the night will be Alexander Scriabin's Third Symphony (The Divine Poem) – a grandiose work reflecting the author's philosophic and religious pursuences.

Spivakov will conduct the “Moscow Virtuosi” Chamber Orchestra on two festival nights. The program on October 15 at the Zaryadye Hall will feature Sergei Rachmaninoff's Romances arranged for a voice and orchestra by Alexei Strelnikov for the 100th anniversary of the great Russian classic. The soloist there will be soprano Albina Tonkikh, an artist of The Bolshoi's Youth Program. The concert will also include pieces by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók and Luigi Boccherini. On November 17 (Zaryadye Hall), Vladimir Spivakov will not only direct the “Moscow Virtuosi” but also play the violin in the duet with Alexei Lundin, the Orchestra's concertmaster: they will perform the Double Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach. The “Moscow Virtuosi” will also perform works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók, Luigi Boccherini, Arnold Schoenberg and Franz Schubert (as orchestrated by Gustaw Mahler).

The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia will get on with the concert on November 22 (Zaryadye Hall) performing two seminal masterpieces of the Romanticism era: Fryderyk Chopin's First Piano Concerto and Franz Schubert's Fourth Symphony (“Tragic”) called by Igor Stravinsky the most breathtaking of the author's symphonic achievements. The piano part in the Concerto will be played by young Shio Okui, an award-winner of many important international competitions, on scholarship with the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation.

The Festival marathon will end with two opera galas featuring stars of the world opera. On December 2, the headliners of the program will be The Bolshoi's singers Ekaterina Morozova and Igor Golovatenko and the Novaya Opera Theater's soloist Julia Mennibaeva, who will sing gems of opera classics – arias and ensembles from famous operas by Italian, Russian and French composers. The closing concert of the festival on December 16 at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center will be embellished by the participation of the Russian opera diva Hibla Gerzmava. While being one of the best Bel Canto singers, she has expanded her repertoire with most difficult dramatic soprano parts, also those in Verdi's operas. She will enchant the music lovers with her unparalleled voice, phenomenal artistic temperament and highest mastership, embodying most different Verdian heroines.

 

The “Holy Rus’ ” Album on Digital Platforms

For the Easter Holiday the NPR and Vladimir Spivakov have prepared a gift for music lovers: there has appeared on digital platforms the first of the series of the Russian music albums recorded to the 15th anniversary of the Orchestra at the Moscow Performing Arts Center in the 2015-2016 season - Holy Rus' . The recording was traditionally made with the assistance of the German sound engineer and producer Philipp Nedel and his b-sharp Studio.

The "Holy Rus’ " album includes works by Sergei Rachmaninoff ("We praise Thee" from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, "The Bells" Poem on the text by Edgar Poe in the Russian translation of Konstantin Balmont) and Sergei Taneev (Cantata "St. John of Damascus" on the verses by Alexey K. Tolstoy), sung by Hibla Gerzmava (soprano), Dmitry Korchak (tenor), Vasily Ladyuk (baritone), the Academic Grand Choir "Masters of Choral Singing" and the Choir of the V. Popov Academy of Choral Arts. Conductor – Vladimir Spivakov.

The 11th Edition of the Moscow Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites”

The 11th Edition of the Moscow Music Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites”
October 4 – December 27, 2021
Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow Performing Arts Center; Zaryadye Concert Hall

The 11th Edition of the Moscow Music Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites” will start on October 4, 2021, with the traditional New Year concert on December 27, 2021, as the final point. Сoncerts of the event will take place at the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International Performing Arts Center and Zaryadye Concert Hall. The Festival, organized in 2001, is a bright example of a successful art project with its own style, priorities and a consistently widening audience. “For me, it is not the number of festival concerts that matters, but the opportunity to show in Moscow what I love myself: something new, in different genres and styles, inimitable, talented,” says Vladimir Spivakov. Read more...

Jubilee Gala Concert “Hibla Gerzmava and Her Friends”

January 19, 2020 | The State Kremlin Palace
Jubilee Gala Concert “Hibla Gerzmava and Her Friends”

Vladimir Spivakov and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia will join  the world opera star Hibla Gerzmava, a People's Artist of Russia, in her anniversary gala-concert. The renowned singer's artistic  partnership with the maestro and his collective goes back to many years ago: they have realized  a lot of memorable joint projects in Russia and abroad, made a number of records, also for major labels. “I am proud of  my friendship with Vladimir Spivakov. Every meeting with him brings happiness. I am grateful to fate for being able to perform with him on the same stage and sing for him,” - says the singer.
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Hibla Gerzmava and Arsen Soghomonyan in the Closing Concert of the “Vladimir Spivakov Invites…” Festival

December 28, 2019 | Moscow International Performing Arts Center, Svetlanov Hall
The 10th Edition of the “Vladimir Spivakov Invites...” Moscow Festival
Closing Concert
Soloists: Hibla Gerzmava, soprano
Arsen Soghomonyan, tenor
Conductor – Valdimir Spivakov
Orchestral fragments, arias and duets from operas by Verdi (I vespri siciliani, Il trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, Attila, Otello, La forza del destino, Nabucco), Mascagni (Cavalleria rusticana), Leoncavallo (I pagliacci) and Catalani (La Wally)

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Closing Vladimir Spivakov's Festival with a New Year's Eve opera gala  has turned out to be a good tradition. The maestro invariably invites top stars with whom joint performances are always the source of artistic satisfaction and great joy. Hibla Gerzmava, the diva of the Russian opera stage, and the charismatic tenor Arsen Soghomonyan will embellish the Festival's finale. The concert will feature arias, duets and orchestral fragments from operas by Giuseppe Verdi and Verismo composers. Read more...

X Moscow Musical Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites”

The Moscow Musical Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites”
10th Edition
September 23 – December 28, 2019
The Moscow International Performing Arts Center – Svetlanov Hall
Tchaikovsky Concert Hall

The Jubilee Tenth Edition of the Moscow Music Festival “Vladimir Spivakov Invites” will start on September 23, 2019, with the traditional New Year opera gala concert on December 28, 2019, as the final point. Сoncerts of the event will take place at the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International Performing Arts Center and Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. The Festival, organized in 2001, is a bright example of a successful art project with its own style, priorities and a consistently widening audience. “For me, it is not the number of festival concerts that matters, but the opportunity to show in Moscow what I love myself: something new, in different genres and styles, inimitable, talented,” says Vladimir Spivakov.
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L’âme russe déferle sur l’Alsace: Eugène Onéguine (extraits) – Colmar

L’art lyrique est peu représenté au Festival international de Colmar et c’est une version intrigante d’Eugène Onéguine, car tronquée, qui était présentée hier soir : une récitante narrait l’intrigue entre chaque moment clé de l’oeuvre – comprendre entre les grands airs et les grands passages symphoniques* – en version de concert au cœur de l’Eglise Saint-Matthieu par l’Orchestre Philharmonique national de Russie, sous la direction de Vladimir Spivakov.

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