Russian Festival Maslenitsa

1 March 2009, 1 – 6pm, Potters Field Park, London
More than 40,000 people attended the open-air Russian Festival Maslenitsa which took place on Sunday at Potters Fields Park, against the backdrop of such famous sites as Tower Bridge, City Hall and the Tower of London.

The broad range of acts presented by the BBC Russian Service’s Seva Novgorodzev and charismatic British Russophile Lieran Stubbings, took place at the dramatic riverside location from 1pm to 6pm.

The audience were warmed by the energetic pieces performed by Russian Song of the 21st Century as well as their nostalgic renditions of Russian favourites Katusha and Kalinka. The ballads and khorovody (circle dances) of folk ensemble Chibatuha then led onto official speeches by such guests as the Russian Ambassador to the UK Yuri Fedotov, Deputy Mayor of London, Ian Clement and Mariana Maksimovskaya. Younger members of the audience were delighted by the walking bear which padded around the park greeting children and adults alike, as well as dancing vigorously on stage. They also enjoyed their own entertainment, organised by Znaniye School, in the Scoop at More London which took place concurrently with the acts featured on the main stage.

The appearance of the afternoon’s star act Varvara, saw the crowd drawing in even closer for her atmospheric performance based on genres as diverse as electronic, new age and ethnic music of Northern Europe. Another highlight included the sublime arias performed by the Urals-born Anna Gorbacheva, a student of vocal studies at the Royal College of Music. Most touching of all, were the festival’s youngest performers Johnny and Katya, aged 5 and 6, whose violin recitals testified the great musical prowess, which in the Russian tradition, is cultivated from a very early age. They were followed by a crisp performance of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence by members of the Russian Orchestra of London. The festival closed with the refreshing jazz-fusion of Andrey Kondakov’s St. Petersburg-based jazz ensemble.

Attendees drank Baltika, a beer ubiquitous in Russia, and enjoyed staples of Russian cuisine on offer at kiosks around the park. Russian pancakes, or blini, were however the most popular choice for festival-goers since they are traditionally eaten at Maslenitsa, which like Britain’s Shrove Tuesday, draws on both Pagan and Christian traditions.

   
 
 
Helping Hands III - Piano Recital with Maka Borchashvili and Fikri Toros

2 April 2009, 7.30pm, St. John's Smith Square, London
A piano recital by Cyprus-based Georgian pianist Maka Borchashvili as well as Fikri Toros. This recital is in aid of Pro Cancer Research Fund.

Programme: Fantasia by Mozart, Marcia alla Turca and Rondo a capricccio by Beethoven, Emotions by Erkin, Hungarian Dances by Brahms, Impromptus by Schubert, La Campanella by Liszt as well as Nocturne, Mazurka, Ballade and Préludes by Chopin.

   
 
 

Moscow Virtuosi 30th Anniversary Concert

3 June 2009, 7.30pm, Barbican Centre, London
This concert celebrated 30 dazzling years of the Moscow Virtuosi. This renowned chamber orchestra, under the expert direction of maestro Vladimir Spivakov, has moved and captivated audiences the world over with their abounding skill and perceptive interpretations of a cornucopia of classical works. In this very special and rare London performance, the orchestra performed masterpieces of the Russian repertoire as well as gems of the Baroque period.

Programme: Chamber Symphony by Shostakovich, Sonata No 3 by Rossini, Symphony in D minor by Boccherini as well as Romances and Serenade by Tchaikovsky.

   
 
 

Tribute to Diaghilev
Ballet Performance and Dinner

7 June 2009, 6:30 pm, Royal Opera House, London
A ballet gala celebrating the centenary of  Ballets Russes and its creator Sergei Diaghilev.

Tribute to Diaghilev ballet gala took place at the Royal Opera House presenting best-known repertoire and contemporary pieces inspired by Saisons Russes: The Firebird, Appollon Musagete, Petrushka, Scheherazade, Tamar,Le Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides, The Sleeping Beauty, La Chatte, Daphnis et Chloe, Les Biches, Carnival, Le Tricorne and The Dying Swan.

These works were performed by principal dancers of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, the Royal Ballet and the Grand Opera, Paris. The stars of the evening:Alexandra Ansanelli, Andrei Batalov, Frederiko Bonelli, Matilda Froustey, Mara Galeazzi, Dmitri Gudanov, Dmitri Grizdyev, Mathias Henman, Maria Kowroski, Ilya Kuznetsov, Ulyana Lopatkina, David Makatelli, Irma Nioradze, Marinella Nunes, Evgenia Obratsova, Natasha Oughtred, Tamara Rojo, Thiago Soares and Igor Zelensky were accompanied by the orchestra of the English National Ballet conducted by Valery Ovsyannikov.

Spectacular performance was followed by a VIP dinner in the grand Paul Hamlyn Hall in the company of dancers, international celebrities, descendants of the artists from the Diaghilev circle, business leaders and politicians. Among them Baroness Margaret Thatcher, President of Alfa Bank Petr Aven, Executive Director of The Russkij Mir Foundation Vyacheslav Nikonov, singer Bryan Ferry, designers Ozwald Boateng and Stephen Webster, actress Angela Rippon, Isabelle Fokine, granddaughter of the prominent choreographer of Saisons Russes and many other guests.

An exhibition of images and artifacts from the Diaghilev’s epoch has been displayed in the Hall throughout the evening.

Proceeds from the charitable auction which followed the dinner benefited Russian non-profit organizations in partnership with CAF Russia.

General sponsor of the gala – Alfa Bank, sponsors – The Russjij Mir Foundation, Rossija Airlines, BMI and CSC.

   
 
 
The Third Cyprus-Russia Gala
11 September 2009, 7:45 pm, Presidential Palace, Nicosia
The 3rd Cyprus-Russia Gala took place at the Presidential Palace of Nicosia and was attended by many important political, financial and cultural figures from Cyprus and Russia, proving the two countries’ cordial and warm relations.

The Gala, organised under the high patronage of Mrs. Elsi Christofias, treated its hundreds of guests to some of Russia’s, Cyprus’ and Greece’s most famous artists.

This year’s Gala featured outstanding performances by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the well-known conductor Julian Gallant with the famous soprano Tatiana Pavlovskaya and the baritone Sergei Leiferkus.

The evening’s programme was followed by the star singer Larisa Dolina. The Russian folk band Chibatukha added a traditional flavour to the evening, while the popular Greek performers Giannis Kotsiras, Rallia Christidou and Myronas Stratis entertained the audience with some of Greece’s finest songs. The Gala's proceeds will be donated to the Radiomarathon Foundation for Children with Special Needs.

The 3rd Cyprus-Russia Gala’s was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Cyprus.
The event was sponsored by Fletcher Group Holdings Ltd, Lukoil, T&P/BBDO, Cyprus Airways, SPI Stolichnaya, Lanitis Bros, Sylvie’s World ETKO and Olympus Wineries, the Cyprus Hilton and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus.
Media sponsors: Radio Proto, To Periodiko, Vestnik Kipra, Russian Wave.