Year of Russian-Chinese Culture: The Gnesin Russian Academy of Music's Russian-Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra Performed at the Hall of Columns

Year of Russian-Chinese Culture: The Gnesin Russian Academy of Music's Russian-Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra Performed at the Hall of Columns

The evening was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory, the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. The official part of the event was attended by the Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Ivan Melnikov; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Russian Federation, Zhang Hanhui; and the Rector of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, Aleksandr Ryzhinskii.

Rector shared: «This day in the  revered Hall of Columns of the House of the Unions is an opportunity to speak about our shared history and our shared culture with China.»

The Russian-Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music performed at the event. They were joined on stage by professors from the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. The conductor was Fedor Sukharnikov. The program featured well-known Soviet and Chinese works from the WW2 years and compositions by the composers of that time.

«The main participant, who gave us the happiness of listening to music this evening, was the Gnesinka. A wonderful symphony orchestra, magnificent soloists!» noted Ivan Melnikov.

The concert featured performances by:

• The concert choir «Kastalya» of the Moscow Creative Collective Choral School «Kastalya» of the State Educational Institution «Vorobyovy Gory,» Center «Lider» (Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory), under the direction of Marina Kuznetsova;
• The Choir of Chinese Students in Russia under the direction of Li Xinrui;
• The Children's Choir «GREENWOOD» under the direction of Wang Ning.

Soloists:

• Xu Ruoshuan (soprano);
• Alexander Bokarev (baritone);
• Fu Zilei (tenor);
• Evgenia Shpiller (soprano);
• Andrey Katkov (baritone).

The event was organized by the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society and the Scientific-Creative Center for the Study of Russian-Chinese Musical Relations of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, with the participation of the China Conservatory of Music. The artistic director was Zuo Zhen-Guan, a member of the Central Board of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, a composer, and an Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation.

«Last year we created the Russian-Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra. We have already performed once very successfully! This is the ensemble's second concert, to which we were invited by Ivan Ivanovich Melnikov,» said Zuo Zhen-Guan.

The evening was held within the framework of the «Priority-2030» strategic academic leadership program.

Photos: Anna Bobrik