November, 18 2014 Oleg Dolgov in a very skillful manner, there also was a baritone Gabriele Viviani and a tenor Andrea Carè (he sings in the Bolshoi's production of "Don Carlo"), and another tenor, Matteo Lippi (he has just performed in the Bolshoi's production of "La Boheme"). In the second part of the concert it was mostly Maria Guleghina who performed. This world star was finally invited to the Bolshoi Theatre last year to participate in the production of "Don Carlo". At that time she lamented: "This has finally happened….". Nowadays we can hear her rather often; in this gala she performed four pieces that concluded the musical anniversary. The Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program demonstrated a brilliant performance. A day before the concert Russian and Italian singers went to a reception organized by Cesare Maria Ragaglini, the Italian Ambassador in Moscow. He surprised everyone with his knowledge about the work of Italian musicians in Russia, and everyone thought that such a story could not be ruined in one day. At the same time, it is hard not to remember about what Vladimir Urin, the theatre's new director, has said. His strategy is to stage productions using only the Bolshoi's "own forces". Of course, the Young Artists Opera Program, which opened in 2009 (programs of the same kind appeared at other theatres in 1970s, and La Scala Academy started working in 1950s!), helps to close all holes very well. The Bolshoi's full-time company has 50 people; two thirds of the company sing little, so the Young Artists Opera Program together with Dmitry Vdovin, a highly qualified pedagogue, who founded it, works with great enthusiasm. Seven of its 26 graduates joined the company; 14 graduates continue to cooperate with the theatre; two pianist- graduates are now working at the Bolshoi; 11 vocalists and 3 pianists are continuing their studies. How to make sure that these singers stay in the future? Good artists do not stay in one place: it is interesting for them to work with new partners, conductors and directors, it is interesting to work in a new environment as well. There is no way they will be interested in doing some routine job; moreover, there is a big music audience that loves different kinds of novelties, there are people whose whole life is in the art and it seems that there will be more and more such people, so that the nation can survive. The Bolshoi has always been our main hope. So the exchange should work; by the way, all successful opera productions that have appeared lately have been staged by foreigners: "La Sonnambula" (Pier Luigi Pizzi), "Don Carlo" (Adrian Noble), "Cosi fan Tutte" (Floris Visser). As the rumors have it, the Bolshoi Young Artists Opera Program is planning to visit Mirella Freni Belcanto Academy in Modena in April. A concert, starring the best participants of the best young artists programs of the largest theatres in the world, has been scheduled to take place at the Bolshoi Theatre on March 20th. Hopefully, Moscow will not become a city "at world's end" again. The picture of Sergei Filin with his family on the cover of the HELLO! Magazine's latest issue The Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director Sergei Filin became the main character of the weekly magazine HELLO!; the picture of him together with his wife, the Bolshoi ballerina Maria Prorvich, and his children was published in the magazine's latest edition. This was the artist's first photo session after the attack last year; the magazine also published his candid interview. Mr. Filin described how he and his family managed to survive this last year. A concert in memory of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra violinist V ictor Sedov, who passed away last year, took place on the Bolshoi's New Stage /Published November 16th/ On Sunday, November 16th The Bolshoi Theatre orchestra, conducted by Michail Jurowski, the eldest representative of the outstanding dynasty of conductors, played a concert in memory of its violinist Victor Sedov (1947-2013), who died tragically last year. Photo: Damir Yusupov The violinist Victor Sedov passed away on July 16th 2013. It was an accident: the musician fell into the orchestra pit of the Bolshoi Theatre New Stage, was injured and died the following day. Mr. Sedov was 65 years old; he had been working at the Bolshoi Theatre for more than 40 years. He was recognized by his colleagues as not only a talented violinist, but also a wonderful pedagogue, music historian and conductor. Michail Jurowski said: "We had been friends since the time we studied at the Merzlyakov Music College and the Moscow Conservatoire; I even was the best man at his wedding. When I left the USSR, we lost touch; we met again only in 2012, when I was invited to the Bolshoi to revive the opera "The Fiery Angel". We were very happy to see each other again. I hoped that our friendship would continue. But Victor's life ended. I consider it an honor to conduct the concert in his memory". The concert's program included the overture from "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" by Richard Wagner and Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8 which, according to Jurowski, "makes a tremendous impression on every member of the audience and leaves no one indifferent". The conductor admitted that he was particularly excited to perform that piece. The maestro said: "I knew Dmitri D. Shostakovich since my earliest youth. My father, the composer Vladimir Jurowski, was close friends with him, and I was blessed to communicate with Shostakovich for many years. This is Newsletter

why his music means so much to me". The musicians also performed Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra by Mario Castelnuovo-T edesco, an Italian-American composer of the 1st half of the 20th century, arranged by Victor Sedov. Jurowski explained: "It was Victor who tried to convince me to perform this piece many times; he had spent much effort to make sure it was convenient to perform. His son, the violinist Pavel Sedov, played the solo part in the concert on November 16th". Michail Jurowski's sons also followed in their father's footsteps. They work in the W est a lot and have successful careers; today they are heads of two Russian collectives. Vladimir Jurowski conducted the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra, and Dmitri Jurowski conducts the Moscow City Symphony-Russian Philharmonic. Jurowski-senior used to work at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre. In 1989 he left for Germany, where he had made a brilliant career as an opera and symphony conductor. Y ears later the maestro, who is highly regarded in the international arena, performed in Russia due to the Bolshoi Theatre: in 2012 Michail Jurowski conducted the revived production of Prokofiev's opera "The Fiery Angel". In February 2015 he will conduct another premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre - "The Queen of Spades", staged by Lev Dodin. Elena Manistina, the Bolshoi Opera soloist and an Honored Artist of Russia, celebrated her birthday on November 16th. Our best wishes to the singer! Elena Manistina

W e also published pictures from the concert in memory of the late Victor Sedov on the Bolshoi Theatre official pages in the social networks Photo: Damir Yusupov

For articles published 13-16 November 2014 The Gazzetta di Modena (Italy) publishes a report about a concert at the Bolshoi conducted by the Music Director of the Bolshoi, Tugan Sokhiev, with singers from the the Cubec - Belcanto Academy of Modena, the Accademia Teatro alla Scala and singers from the Young Artists Opera Program of the Bolshoi Theatre The report the three academies are considered among the most prestigious at the international level and the Bolshoi is described as the mythical scene of the great Russian tradition in music and ballet. Focus Energetica (Romania) reports that stars from the Bolshoi Theatre will sing at two concerts to be held in Romania in November. The Bradford Telegraph and Argus (UK) reports that the programme at the National Media Museum will include live screenings of the Bolshoi Ballet, the Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne. The Telegraph (UK) publishes an obituary of former Bolshoi ballerina Nina T imofeyeva. The New York Times and the Financial Times review the Mikhailovsky Ballet's Giselle November, 18 2014 Bolshoi Theatre in the Internet Newsletter starring former Bolshoi ballet dancer Natalia Osipova at Lincoln Centre in New York very positively with the Financial Times giving it four out of five stars. Many publications announce upcoming transmissions of Bolshoi productions in local cinemas. The Italian publication Targatocn writes that the Bolshoi is the most famous in the world. The French Progres writes that the lavish "Pharaoh's Daughter" by the French choreographer Pierre Lacotte for the Russian troupe has exotic settings, impressive parades, spectacular and large group scene variations, and that this masterpiece of the nineteenth century, long forgotten, is one of the most remarkable productions of the Bolshoi repertoire. The Guardian (UK) publishes an obituary on the former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Nina T imofeyeva who died recently in Israel writing that she brought dramatic force to classic roles through her strong technique. Ismene Brown the dance critic for The Spectator writes in her blog based on translations of Russian newspapers that former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Nicolai T siskaridze is set to be confirmed as permanent Rector of the Vaganova ballet academy on November 29. The New York Times publishes a positive review of the Mikhailovsky Ballet's Flames of Paris during its New York season saying the St Petersburg company flaunts its "larger than life Bolshoi qualities". November 21st, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Beethoven Hall. A reception marking the 10th anniversary of the Hennessy Social-Cultural Foundation. Expected guests: Maurice-Richard Hennessy, Tatyana Shirkina, Rashid and Marianna Sardarov, Vladimir and Sati Spivakov, Irada Zeynalova, Vladimir Glynin, Alena Doletskaya, Nikolai Uskov and Tatyana Rogachenko. /…/ "The Golden Mask" Theatre Award announced its nominees The Russian National Theatre Award "The Golden Mask" announced the nominees for the season 2013/2014. The majority of the productions represent regional theatres. Maria Revyakina, the General Director of the Festival, said: "The experts' councils have watched 636 productions. 9 cities, 42 theatres, 56 productions and 155 nominees took part in the competition. This year the Bolshoi Theatre has a record number of nominations - 15". /…/ , 7 November, 18 2014
In brief