The Gnesin students in China
We are continuing our collaboration with the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing — this time, professors and students of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music gave concerts, lectures, and masterclasses, and also took part in a scientific conference and official meetings.
The Gnesin ensemble of contemporary choral music, Altro Coro, under the direction of Aleksandr Ryzhinskii, performed on the stage of the China Conservatory of Music. At the first concert, the ensemble performed the Symphony of the Great Victory for choir and piano in an arrangement by Kuzma Bodrov (piano part — Alexei Vaker), as well as the choral cycles «Leningrad Notebook» by Alexander Flyarkovsky and «Four Choruses on Verses by Tvardovsky» by Rodion Shchedrin. On the second day, Altro Coro presented to the Chinese public works by Alexander Sveshnikov, Valery Gavrilin, Valery Kalistratov, and Alexei Larin. To conclude the musical evening, the choir of the China Conservatory joined the Russian ensemble on stage.
During the trip, masterclasses were organized for Chinese students, conducted by Alexei Vaker (piano), a senior lecturer in the Department of Special Piano and a teacher in the Department of Chamber Ensemble and Quartet, and Aleksandr Ryzhinskii (choral conducting), Rector of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. Tatiana Naumenko, Head of the Department of Music Theory and Vice-Rector for Scientific Work, delivered a lecture titled «The Study of Contemporary Music in Russian Musicology.»
One of the key events of the trip was a scientific conference, where the Gnesinites spoke about the achievements of the Gnesin Russian Academy ofмMusic in the field of music education. Aleksandr Ryzhinskii presented a report on «The Gnesin Russian Academy of Music — A Flagship of Music Education in the Russian Federation.» Tatiana Naumenko's presentation was on «Scientific Periodicals: The Experience of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.» Zuo Zhen-Guan, Head of the Research and Technology Center for the Study of Russian-Chinese Musical Ties, spoke on «Chinese Music in Russian Culture,» and Alexei Vaker presented a report on «The Three-Tier System of Music Education in Russia as the Foundation of the Russian Piano School.»