Nis Novi Sad : Fifth “Bolshoi” Festival of Russian music starts in Mećavnik

'Bolshoi' promotes creative development of young music talents of Serbia, Republic of Srpska and Russia. One of the main festival topics is continuity and cooperation of music traditions.

Over 60 participants will be competing in two age categories: 13-17 and 18-25 for the main prizes of the 2017 festival: Golden, Silver and Bronze Matryoshka Doll. The number of Russian representatives has been rising year by year - there will be 21 participants coming from seven Russian cities: Saint Petersburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Orenburg, Tomsk, Khanty-Mansiysk, and Muravlenko. There will be approximately 40 young talents from Serbia and the Republic of Srpska.

The winner will be selected by a competent jury composed of Professor Zoran Komadina, Danijela Jović, Director of the Centre for Music Talents from Ćuprija, and famous pianist, People's Artist of Russia - Yuri Rozum.

Guests of the festival will include cellist Justus Grimm, violinist Tatjana Samuil, mezzo-soprano Milijana Nikolić. Violin virtuoso Roman Simović has prepared a world premiere - performance of a piano quintet gathered especially for the festival.

Famous musicians will also run master-class workshops for young talents from Russia and Serbia. A 'Dialogue of Talents' will be held for the first time in the history of the festival: participants from Serbia, Republic of Srpska, Russia and Belarus will present specially prepared pieces of music in the non-competitive part of the programme.
The 'Bolshoi' Symphony Orchestra, composed of experienced performers and students of Serbian music academies and led by master conductor Srboljub Dinić, will be performing at the festival for the third time. Well-known Serbian children's choir 'Kolibri' will perform at the opening ceremony of the festival.

'In the place where there used to be trenches and where Bulgarian soldiers made it in World War I, so in the place of war, the fifth Bolshoi festival will be open tonight, and there will be no wars. Instead Tchaikovsky will be played, and therefore, it is a true little celebration,' said the festival's founder and director Emir Kusturica.

'The 'Bolshoi' festival of Russian music is an important event in the cultural life of Serbia and one of the largest cultural projects in Gazprom Neft's programme of social investments in the country. Its original format and participation of classical music stars help develop music, spiritual and human ties between Serbia and Russia, creating unique social and cultural space of the two brotherly countries,' stated Alexander Dybal, member of the Management Board of 'Gazprom Neft'.