By Andrey Fiodorov
The first festival of classic music in Brest took place in 1988. For a quarter of a century, musicians and vocalists from 33 countries worldwide have participated in the event, and more than 65,000 people have visited the concerts during this time.
This year, mezzo soprano, Irina Bogacheva, star of the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre and a People’s Artist of Russia, attended the festival for the first time. Solomiya Priymak (soprano), a favourite of Brest’s audience, a soloist from Kiev’s National Academic Operetta Theatre, Luka Gaiduchenya (baritone), laureate of international contests from Great Britain and Vadim Kravets (bass), a soloist of the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, supported the high note of professional art.
Accompanied by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Belarus, under the command of Alexander Anisimov, arias from operas, romances, masterpieces of the world music art were performed.
During the event, guests of the festival could listen to jazz music, including music played by a jazz-quartet from the USA, led by trumpet player Gary Guthman. Performances of another two famous ensembles — the Silesian String Quartet from Poland and New Russian Quartet from Moscow — were also a success.
Together with famous musicians, talented young laureates have appeared on the scene of the Brest’s Academic Drama Theatre. Apart from these performances, two concerts and a traditional Christmas ball took place. Within the framework of the forum, Marek Stefański, one of the best young organists from Poland, gave an organ recital.
Musicians from ten countries worldwide participated in January Musical Evenings, including, for the first time, representatives from Chile and Kazakhstan, making this a truly international event.
