Bashmet Festival in Yaroslavl invites you to a musical trip to Europe

The 10th International Music Festival, under the artistic direction of the outstanding musician Yuri Bashmet, will be held from May 1 to May 9, 2018 in Yaroslavl.

Over the ten years of its existence, the Festival has become one of the largest international music forums in Russia and has received the status of one of the country’s most beloved annual creative projects in the country.

The central theme of this year’s festival is a musical journey through the countries of Europe. In the framework of the forum, famous bands and world-famous musicians will come to Russia: the baroque ensemble Soqquadro Italiano (Italy), the Chamber Orchestra of Antonin Dvořák (Prague, Czech Republic), Quintessenza Brass (Italy), Jean-Luc Fafshan (piano, Belgium), Massimo Mercelli (flute, Italy), Harry Maki (clarinet, Finland), Carlo Colombo (bassoon, Italy-Switzerland), Nino Katamdze and Insight band (Georgia) and many others.

Maestro Bashmet himself will traditionally take part in the festival, both as a soloist and as a conductor of his groups: the Moscow Soloists Chamber Ensemble and the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra. Also, according to tradition, the Yaroslavl Philharmonic Choir Chapel will perform at the festival.

The concert-opening of the festival on May 1 - “Benefit viola”. The program of the evening “On the anniversary of Yuri Bashmet” includes the Quintet Brahms arranged by Yuri Bashmet for solo viola and strings, Gloria by Kuzma Bodrov for viola, choir and strings, Adagio by Igor Reichelson, as well as a concert for three by Alfred Schnittke and world premiere pieces for viola and strings by Sergey Nevsky.

Another world premiere - the performance of the Letter of Sophia symphony by Jean-Luc Fafshan - will take place on May 7 as part of the concert “Musical Journey to Belgium: from Jacques De Prés to Jean-Luc Fafchand”. That evening, Denis Vlasenko will stand up for the conductor’s console of the New Russia Symphony Orchestra and the Yaroslavia Choir chapel.

The concert on May 8 will be fully dedicated to one of Maestro Bashmet’s favorite genres: crossover. So, Nino Katamadze and the Insight band will perform on the stage of the Yaroslavl Philharmonic, and maestro Bashmet and the New Russia orchestra will become special guests of the evening, “Classics Meets Jazz”.

At the closing of the festival on May 9, the musical and drama performance “Passion for the Queen of Spades” will be presented in the author’s version of Yuri Bashmet, directed by Pavel Safonov. The main roles in the fantasy are played by Nadezhda Mikhalkova and Sergey Epishev, also Oleg Dolgov, Maria Lobanova, Irina Bogacheva, Igor Golovatenko and Anton Zaraev also take part.

The festival program will be accompanied by master classes in which young musicians - students and pupils, as well as teachers of Yaroslavl music educational institutions will take part. Before the concert, a special cognitive program of “Pre-concerts” will be presented to the public.

The Wind Academy of the festival will be developed, this year on May 2 master classes on woodwinds will be held, and on May 7 on brass instruments and ensembles. The Brass Academy will work within the framework of the All-Russian program “Yuri Bashmet - to the Young Talents of Russia” using the grant of the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society provided by the Presidential Grants Fund.

Also, as part of the Jubilee Festival, one of the stages of selection for the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra will be held.

The scientific program of the festival includes two conferences: “Belgian musical culture for 400 years: the Role and history of Belgian music in the musical life of Europe” and “Music and our time: In search of new horizons” (based on the work of Socvadro Italiano and new approaches to performing and performance of music).

A traditionally rich program awaits the cities of the Yaroslavl region. Concerts with the participation of maestro Bashmet and other musicians will be held in Uglich, Rostov, the village of Veliky, Rybinsk and Pereslavl - Zalessky.