On September 30, a concert commemorating the 35th anniversary of the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra took place at the P.I. Tchaikovsky Concert Hall under the artistic direction of People’s Artist of the USSR and Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation Yuri Bashmet. The ensemble’s birth coincided with the beginning of a new milestone in the history of our country: over three and a half decades, the ensemble has traversed the same difficult yet glorious path of formation, development, and renewed prosperity.

In 1990, by order of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, the State Symphony Orchestra for Children and Youth was established. Four years later, it came under the control of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, received federal status, and was renamed “Young Russia.” But the orchestra’s most remarkable achievements are associated with the artistic direction of People’s Artist of the USSR, violist, and conductor Yuri Bashmet, who took over the helm in 2002.

Essentially re-founded under the name “New Russia,” the orchestra received a powerful creative impetus—and by the first years of the new millennium, it had become one of the country’s leading musical ensembles, delighting domestic and international audiences with outstanding performance achievements.

Since 2002, the orchestra has given over 1,000 concerts. Its performances have included numerous, sometimes remote, cities and locations across Russia, as well as prestigious concert and festival venues in Europe and Asia.

The program for “New Russia”‘s anniversary concert brought together Russian music from various eras and styles. It opened with the world premiere of Georgy Sviridov’s original version of “Symphony for Strings and Percussion.” This work offers a fresh perspective on this classic of 20th-century vocal and choral music. Its instrumentation, structure, and musical language clearly demonstrate the diversity of the Master’s creative explorations at the beginning of his compositional career.

The concert concluded with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. This work has become the most performed in the world of classical music. But when it was first performed, the public reacted coolly to it, which greatly upset Tchaikovsky himself. After the premiere, he even wanted to burn the notes of his symphony out of disappointment. However, over time, people have come to appreciate this work as one of the most tragic symphonies, in which a man struggles with fate.

Between the two large-scale dramatic symphonies, the suite “Guide to the Orchestra” by contemporary composer Kuzma Bodrov, specially commissioned by Yuri Bashmet in 2018, was performed.

The orchestra’s artistic director, chief conductor, and inspirational figure, Maestro Yuri Bashmet, conducted the orchestra throughout the evening.

Source: https://t.me/russian_concert_agency