Masters of World Performing Arts educational project

The Masters of World Performing Arts cultural and educational project took place in spring and fall 2014 within the Year of Culture in Russia. Supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture, concerts and master classes by world’s leading musicians were organized in such Russian cities as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Saratov, Yekaterinburg, Astrakhan and Novosibirsk.

The project started with the joint concert of the French Parisii Quartet and Russian Rachmaninov Trio in the Large Italian Skylight Room of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg on May 21, 2014.

On May 23 the musicians played in the Mikhail Vrubel Hall of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and on May 26 – in the Primorye Opera and Ballet Theater in Vladivostok.

The concerts featured the masterpieces of chamber music: compositions by Claude Debussy, Cesar Franck, Johannes Brahms, Darius Milhaud and Mikhail Glinka. The performers gave master classes at the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory and the Far Eastern State Academy of Arts.

Gazprom and French GDF SUEZ sponsored the first stage of the project and the French Embassy in the Russian Federation was the partner of the festival.

The Parisii Quartet has recently celebrated its 30^th anniversary. The band was formed by the graduates of the Paris National Conservatory of Music and quickly won popularity not only in France, but also around the world. At present, the Parisii Quarter is among the world’s leading ensembles.

The Moscow Rachmaninov Trio was created by graduates of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, participants and winners of prestigious international contests. During its 20 years of existence, the band won great critical acclaim and public recognition, performing in the best Russian and international concert halls.

“Despite the current political complications, culture and art are the power that unites people around the globe,” said pianist Viktor Yampolsky, leader of the Rachmaninov Trio, “our project also demonstrates this clearly by teaming up the most renowned French and Russian musicians, major Russian and French companies, the French Embassy and the Russian Ministry of Culture, for the love to great music. It gives hope and optimism to all of us. The significance of this project can’t be overestimated for the Russian regions, where young Russian musicians had a chance to become familiar with the most outstanding masterpieces of the global performing art.”

The second stage of the Masters of World Performing Arts project was held in September. It involved such cities as Saratov, Yekaterinburg, Astrakhan and Novosibirsk. The Rachmaninov Trio together with famous German violist Jurgen Kussmaul presented a program of works by Mozart and conducted master classes for students and teachers of conservatories and music colleges.

“Music lovers from around the world would dream of hearing Mozart music played by Jurgen Kussmaul,” said Dmitry Yampolsky. Jurgen is a pioneer of the authentic approach, his style is marked by incredible profoundness and tremendous ease, his presence advances any music group to a fundamentally new level.”

“Due to the support of Gazprom and the Ministry of Culture we can invite great masters of performing arts from various countries to enable students, teachers, music lovers from every Russian region to tap into the world performing art, get new information and become familiar with prominent musicians,” continued Viktor Yampolsky. “Foreign stars are responding to our proposals with great enthusiasm. This is a wonderful example of how eternal values always prevail over short-term complications and troubles.”

The project ended with the performance of Silvia Mapelli, soloist of the La Scala opera theater, at the Rachmaninov Hall of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory on November 11, 2014. Silvia Mapelli is a vivid representative of the Bel Canto singing tradition. She performed masterpieces of Italian opera and chamber classics: Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi.