The world premiere of Valery Voronov’s Requiem of the Forgotten will be performed on Heroes of the Fatherland Day.
18.11.2025
On December 9, on Heroes of the Fatherland Day, Valery Voronov’s Requiem for the Forgotten will be performed for the first time at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. A musical canvas woven from the words of poets who went through the war – K. Simonov, B. Pasternak, R. Gamzatov, Y. Levitansky – will become the voice of those whose names were taken away by time, but whose sacrifice is forever inscribed in history.
“For me, human memory and respect for one’s history, for one’s roots, in one’s country is one of the most valuable and important human qualities. When we decided to create Requiem with Valera Voronov, it was very important for me to understand that there are nameless heroes, most of them, but they are all UNFORGETTABLE. Sometimes they are in the memory of only the closest people. But as long as the memory is alive, we ourselves remain human” – Yuri Bashmet.
The main idea of the Requiem of the Forgotten is the theme of memory and human dignity. This is not only a musical commemoration, but also a reflection on memory as a force capable of overcoming oblivion, about the price that was paid for Peace, about the value of every human life. The Requiem of the Forgotten goes beyond the religious requiem in its canonical liturgical meaning.: This composition is a deep musical reflection on the themes of loss, Homeland, sacrifice and hope.
“The topic of memory is one of the most important for me. It is a form of life that continues in us. Perhaps this is faith in life. When I wrote this essay, using the poems of people who had gone through and survived the war, it was as if I was immersed in their memory, in something that cannot be forgotten. Their poems became the heart of this work. Requiem of the Forgotten is my dedication to the people whose destinies were forever changed by the Great Patriotic War” – Valery Voronov
The performance of the world premiere will be attended by: Sergey Garmash, Irina Kupchenko, Evgeny Tkachuk, Alexey Vertkov, Nikolai Zemlyanskikh (baritone) and Danil Knyazev (bass).
A. Yurlov State Academic Choral Chapel of Russia
Artistic Director and Chief conductor – Gennady Dmitryak
Youth Symphony Orchestra of Russia
The artistic director and chief conductor – Yuri Bashmet.
The director of the concert – Polina Agureeva
At the conductor’s desk – Yuri Bashmet
