Bashmet and Balanas play Stradivari at Barbican Hall
Release
Moscow Soloist Chamber Orchestra under Yuri Bashmet kicked off the UK-Russia Year of Culture by their concert. The musicians performed works by Benjamin Britten, Dmitry Shostakovich, Franz Schubert and Peter Tchaikovsky at the Barbican Hall in London on 1 February.
The event was a part of the Stradivarius in the Capitals of the World project supported by Gazprom Group since 2011, the year when the historical music relics from the Russian State Collection first sounded abroad.
This time the musicians played 17 unique vintage instruments by Antonio Stradivari and other Italian masters, which were provided by the Russian State Collection and the Royal Academy of Music especially for this concert.
Solo performances of Maestro Yuri Bashmet and young violinist Kristine Balanas made that evening truly unforgettable.
“Gazprom upholds the tradition of supporting culture and educational events all over the world, and we are too proud of our contribution in arranging and holding such a unique event being a part of the UK-Russia Year of Culture,” said Alexander Medvedev Director General of Gazprom Export.