The concert took place in the Pitmen’s Palace on 19 October. This is the fourth time the world-famous maestro has been in town, but it seems that there are only more people who want to attend his concerts.

And such a unique opportunity for a small town was given to the citizens of Zheleznogorsk by the Art, Science and Sports Festival, established by the Alisher Usmanov charity foundation. Vladimir Spivakov and his «Virtuoses…» spoke to the audience Evgeniya Asanova, artist of the Bolshoi Opera Youth Programme.

The orchestra performed works by A.Vivaldi, W.-A. Mozart, E.Grieg and J.Haydn. Evgeniya Asanova performed the famous Carmen arias from the opera of the same name by J.-A. Mozart, E.Griga, J.Haydna. Bizet and Dalila from the opera «Samson and Dalila» by C. Saint-Saëns. The audience appreciated her deep mezzo-soprano, and her performance was another decoration of the concert.

The audience was particularly impressed by the performance of Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No 45 «Farewell» by Virtuosi. In this work, the traditional symphonic parts are followed by the final, slow part, when the musicians gradually leave the stage, turning off the lights at the lecterns (at the time of Haydn these were candles). Before the light goes out finally, the symphony is played by the first two violins – and one of them is the conductor himself. The wonderful sound of the Stradivarius violin in the hands of Vladimir Spivakov is a worthy ending to the famous symphony.

In addition to renowned guests, young musicians – pupils of Gymnasium No. 1 and DShI from Zheleznogorsk – are on stage closer to the backstage. For them, this was an unforgettable master class.

– «Sitting almost behind the scenes, you can see and feel not only the people in the hall», said Dasha Ignatova. – Live music, and also performed by famous musicians, is so cool that it cannot be conveyed in words.

– «It is unrealistic and magical», added Anna Oleinichenko. – To be near Spivakov is a dream.

It is no secret that Vladimir Spivakov actively helps talented children around the world. After the concert, the maestro told us that the other day his orchestra’s musicians gave a master class to children from Old Oskol.In addition to renowned guests, young musicians – pupils of Gymnasium No. 1 and DShI from Zheleznogorsk – are on stage closer to the backstage. For them, this was an unforgettable master class.

– «Sitting almost behind the scenes, you can see and feel not only the people in the hall», said Dasha Ignatova. – Live music, and also performed by famous musicians, is so cool that it cannot be conveyed in words.

– «It is unrealistic and magical», added Anna Oleinichenko. – To be near Spivakov is a dream.

It is no secret that Vladimir Spivakov actively helps talented children around the world. After the concert, the maestro told us that the other day his orchestra’s musicians gave a master class to children from Old Oskol.

– «Recently there was a festival called ‘Moscow Meets Friends’, where every time we identify some amazingly talented children», he said.

The concert at the Pitmen’s Palace flew by like an instant. The musicians had already played an encore of Piazzolla’s ‘Tango of Love’, but the audience did not want to let them go, so they gave a round of applause and flowers. Svetlana Zakharyants, a student of Vladimir Spivakov and a teacher at the Kursk Teacher Training College, was among such fans. In addition to flowers, she gave the maestro a puppet Nutcracker and a basket of apples.

– «I studied with Vladimir Teodorovich for five years, and therefore it is very expensive for me to communicate with him», she said. – This is the person who has given me the road to life and whom I am very grateful. He is like a chamberlain to me.

The head of Virtuosi… appreciated the gift from the chickens, saying that «only we can do this». He remembered a concert in Noyabrsk when one of the spectators, saying she didn’t have any money for flowers, presented the musician with a basket of pies. In front of an astonished member of the British royal family standing next to her.

Assessing the work of the Art, Science and Sport charity foundation, which has already held many excellent concerts, exhibitions and master classes in the cities where Metalloinvest operates, Vladimir Spivakov, who, by the way, participates in the foundation’s events for free, said:

– I believe that what the Alisher Usmanov Foundation does is unique. Many people have foundations. But there are only a few funds that take care of people living in such small towns as Gubkin, Zheleznogorsk, Novotroitsk and Orsk. In Orsk we played with a large philharmonic orchestra, and it turned out that there was never a symphony orchestra in Orsk. But we are a cultural country, and that should not be the case. That’s why I always enjoy coming to small towns. I consider this a mission – both from the Foundation and from mine.

Ekaterina Gladushina