On October 2, 2021, the Republic of Korea will host the opening ceremony of the unique international cultural project “Russian Seasons.” The event’s highlight will be a performance by the Soloists of Moscow Chamber Ensemble under the baton of Yuri Bashmet. Soloist – South Korean pianist and organist Cho Jae-Hyuk. Performances will be held until October 8, 2021, and will cover 5 cities of the Republic of Korea. According to the project’s tradition, the host country will be presented with the “Russian Seasons” symbol – the Firebird. The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Russian Federation.

On October 2, at 15:30, a press conference devoted to the start of the “Russian Seasons” tour in the Republic of Korea will be held.

The invited participants are:

  • Andrey Kulik, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Korea;
  • Vladimir Osintsev, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation;
  • Alexei Lebedev, director of the international cultural project “Russian Seasons”;
  • Yuri Bashmet, conductor, artistic director of the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra;
  • Semyon Mikhailovsky, Russian art historian, rector of the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

Location: Seoul Arts Center, Nambusunhwanro 2406, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

At 17:00, the Seoul Arts Center will host the premiere concert of the Moscow Soloists Chamber Ensemble under the baton of Yuri Bashmet. The Moscow Soloists Chamber Ensemble is a unique team of like-minded people. The impeccable sense of ensemble is combined with the vibrant individuality of each artist. A complete mutual understanding between the conductor and the musicians creates an atmosphere of harmony during the concert and makes you feel like the music is being born right in front of you.

Cho Jae-Hyuk, a South Korean pianist and organist, will be the soloist for the opening night. The musician toured North America, Europe, and Asia. Cho Jae-Hyuk has collaborated with the world’s greatest orchestras, including the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and many, many others. As part of the “Russian Seasons” opening ceremony, the famous pianist and organist will perform on one stage with maestro Yuri Bashmet and Moscow Soloists Chamber Ensemble. The venue is one of the world’s most famous venues, the Seoul Arts Center.

According to the project’s tradition, the host country will be presented with the symbol of the “Russian Seasons” – the Firebird, a character of old Russian fairytales. It symbolizes light, warmth, good luck, and rebirth. This magical creature lives in an enchanted garden, and very few people ever got to see her up close. Even one feather of the Firebird brings luck to the one who manages to find it. Famous Russian entrepreneur Sergey Dyagilev was at the origins of the Russian Seasons, which were first held more than 100 years ago. One of the ballets that triumphed in Europe at the time was Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird, based on old Russian fairy tales. And so, the Firebird became the symbol of the modern Russian Seasons. Every year the symbol of the “Russian Seasons” is presented to the host country.

About the project 

The Russian Seasons is a large-scale project to introduce Russian culture to audiences worldwide. In 2017, Japan hosted 238 events in 100 cities with the participation of 29 cultural institutions. In 2018, Italy hosted 310 events in 74 cities with 87 participating institutions. In 2019, the global cultural project “Russian Seasons” took place in Germany. 473 events in 90 cities with the participation of 90 Russian ensembles successfully presented Russian culture to millions of viewers in Germany. The Russian Seasons project has reached more than 13 million viewers since its inception.

For foreign and Russian fans of Russian culture, the Stay Home with Russian Seasons online service was launched to provide access to Russian cultural content and keep the project going despite restrictive measures. The project is a free media library for videos from Russian Seasons. A special section on the website features the events of Russia’s leading cultural institutions and creative teams and a series of video tours, “Discovering Russia with Russian Seasons.” All webcasts are supplied with translations into English.

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