RMU will support “Towards Vyborg” Festival

On August 17 – 25, on the Karelian Isthmus in the Kurortny district of St. Petersburg and in Vyborg the XII Music and Poetry Festival “Towards Vyborg” will be held. Russian Musical Union is the partner of the Arts Forum.

The host of the Festival is the Institute of Finland in St. Petersburg with the assistance of the Lifestyle Charity Foundation, Russian Musical Union, and National Fund for Copyright Holders’ Support, the Government of the Leningrad Region, the Government of St. Petersburg, the Consulate General of Finland, and other partners.

The Festival “Towards Vyborg” exists since 2008. This year the festival will celebrate a number of anniversary dates, and individual concert programs will be dedicated to every event. One of these dates is the 100th anniversary of Daniil Granin, who was a regular guest of the Festival and supported it. Artists of Bolshoi Drama Theater named after G. A. Tovstonogov – actor Anatoly Petrov and accordion player Vladimir Rozanov – will perform at the concert in memory of the writer.

The festival will also commemorate the 80th anniversary of the famous composers of the Soviet era – Valery Gavrilin and Boris Tishchenko, who lived and worked on the Karelian Isthmus. Their chamber-vocal works will be performed at the opening concert and in the Festival’s concerts in Zelenogorsk, Repino and Vyborg by the soloists of the Mariinsky Opera – Natalya Evstafieva and Ekaterina Shimanovich, as well as the by Olesya Petrova and Yulia Korpacheva, who always participate in the Festival.

The concert on the second day of the Festival will be dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Anna Akhmatova. Guests will attend it from Finland, where the work of the great poetess is known and appreciated, – by composer and vocalist Vuokko Hovatta and accordion player Harri Kuusiyarvi.

Another memorable date is the 150th anniversary of the famous Finnish composer and conductor who was born in Vyborg, Armas Järnefelt, and whose anniversary is widely celebrated in Finland. His works will be performed in the opening and closing concerts. A descendant of the composer and member of Armas Järnefelt Society Mikko Sayari will take part in the opening of the gala concert.

During the seven days of the Festival, a total of 10 concert programs are planned, which will be held at various chamber venues. Guests will have an opportunity to hear classical, modern and spiritual music, music for guitar and accordion, contemporary poetry of Finland, visit exhibitions and charity events.