The first sites to be tested were the Moscow Virtuosi.

The new hall has appeared in the Moscow House of Music, which is headed by Vladimir Spivakov. It was built in one of the existing premises. Previously this place was empty and used for household purposes. But a couple of years ago it was decided to make a rehearsal room for the orchestra there and use this area for special chamber events.

The Virtuosi of Moscow was the first to try out the hall. Under Spivakov’s direction, they played works by Mozart, Rossini, Puccini and Boccherini. Together with the orchestra, the Bolshoi Theatre soloist Anna Aglatova appeared on stage and once again showed her vocal skills.

The new hall (as it is marked on the signs) is designed for more than three hundred spectators.

The scene is mobile: some segments of the scene may rise and fall. This feature is useful when rehearsing with the choir.

– The old rehearsal room was not comfortable. When an orchestra of one hundred people was there and the «Master Chorus Singers» choir came in, after five minutes there was nothing to breathe! The ceilings are high here and you can breathe in peace. This is a huge gift for musicians. A gift to everyone who comes to the House of Music – the new hall of the maestro is being praised.

Vladimir Teodorovich gave the new hall his collection of modern art – 26 works. Many people know the maestro’s passion for collecting and paintings are often brought to him right in the halls where he performs.

Another surprise awaits the audience.

– «We made a memorial room for Alfred Schnittke, a brilliant man, a musician with whom I had a long relationship», said the maestro. – He dedicated his work «Five fragments on paintings by Hieronymus Bosch» to me, and I performed it. Here I wanted to recreate the atmosphere in which Schnittke worked.

In the room you can see furniture from the early twentieth century, as well as his personal belongings.

The new hall will be used not only for rehearsals and concerts. It is also a recording studio. In addition, internet broadcasts from the new hall will be available.

On 24 April, Mustai, a film dedicated to the Bashkir poet Mustai Karim, will be shown in the New Hall. Famous actors and cultural figures – Vladimir Spivakov, Sergei Mikhalkov, Sergei Bezrukov, Chulpan Khamatova and Rafe Fines – took part in the creation of the film. The famous British actor reads the lines of one of his favourite poets, Mustaya Karima.

Oksana Fomina