Denis Matsuyev (1975- ), pianist, honoured artist of Russia, winner of the 1998 Chaikovsky Competition
The Arts Festival “Baltic Seasons” is one of our favourite times of the year. Most people in Kaliningrad, the westernmost city in Russia, would agree. For the fifth time, this regional arts festival, the largest in the country, is being held, and it shall run through October. Due to its historical connections, this Russian enclave on the Baltic coast centred on the city of Kaliningrad (formerly, the Prussian/German city of Königsberg) has more and durable cultural contacts with Western Europe than it does with metropolitan Russia. This festival, “Baltic Seasons”, helps to fill this cultural gap, presenting to audiences in Kaliningrad oblast the stars of Russian art and music. This year is noted by the presence of many young performers, typified by the pianist Denis Matsuyev. He is a true virtuoso, one of the most acclaimed musicians on the contemporary world stage, and he has gathered about himself a veritable host of the brightest stars of classical music.
Mr Matsuyev asserted, “There are many artists who bring lustre to Russian performing arts throughout the world, but, unfortunately, the Russian public doesn’t always have the chance to hear them. In a very real sense, we fill that niche here. When we started the “Baltic Seasons” festival, we were able to introduce the people here to not only the best musicians, but, also to the best actors. Besides showcasing the leading lights from the finest theatres of Moscow, St Petersburg, and other large Russian cities, by the second season of the festival we were also highlighting the stars of the future, the students from the theatrical institutes throughout Russia”.
This year, the fifth season of the “Baltic Seasons” opened with appearances by renowned musicians, the Virtuosos of Moscow Chamber Orchestra directed by Maestro Vladimir Spivakov and the folk-instrument quarter Terem from St Pertersburg.
18 July 2008
Yekaterina Andrusenko
Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=rus&q=77477&cid=24&p=18.07.2008 (in Russian)
