First Graduates of «Music for Media» Program Take Exam at Mosfilm!

On June 10, graduates of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music’s new Master’s program «Music for Media» took their first exam at Mosfilm’s recording studio. These future professional film, TV, and video game composers faced a challenge designed to closely replicate real-world industry conditions.

This was no ordinary test — it was full-fledged professional work: 5 students recorded their original compositions with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography, conducted by Sergey Skripka.

«For young composers, this is an incredible opportunity — to immediately work with such a high-level orchestra at a legendary studio,» said Artem Vasilyev, program lecturer and composer. «The Russian State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography is a world-class ensemble, and the chance to record at Mosfilm is a unique experience that graduates normally only get after years of practice.»

Each student had one hour with the orchestra to record a 4-minute excerpt of their work. These recordings will serve as the foundation for the second exam on June 27. Final thesis defenses will be supervised by mentor-composers: Yuri Poteenko, Kuzma Bodrov, Artem Ananyev, Artem Vasilyev.

Program launched in 2022 under the directive of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the «Music for Media» program is a one-of-a-kind specialization in Russia’s education system. Graduates become experts in scoring for film, TV, video games, and other media formats.

Photos by Anna Bobrik