On November 9, a concert of Russian sacred music took place at the Russian House in Brussels as part of an evening celebration dedicated to Unity Day and the anniversary of the Russian House in Brussels. The youth ensemble of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, “Altro Coro,” conducted by the academy’s rector, Alexander Ryzhinsky, performed a program titled “Masterpieces of Russian Sacred Music: From Mikhail Glinka to Alfred Schnittke.” The concert was also dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Elena Gnessina, the Academy founder. The evening featured works by Mikhail Glinka, Pavel Chesnokov, Viktor Kalinnikov, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, with the highlight being fragments from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil.”
The atmosphere of the concert was shaped not only by the pieces themselves but also by the performers — young yet truly talented musicians. Their skill, sincerity, and deep immersion in the music captivated the audience. Each piece became a revelation, and the performance offered a moving experience that left no one in the hall indifferent.
“Russian sacred choral music is not new to Belgium,” noted Vera Bunina, director of the Russian House. “In autumn 2021, concerts by the St. Petersburg State Cappella were held in five Belgian cities with packed halls. In this country with a rich musical culture, audiences highly appreciate serious classical music, especially in performances like that presented today by Russia’s oldest music conservatory. The comments left by attendees in our ‘Golden Book’ are full of enthusiastic gratitude,” she added.
The evening was attended by the Russian Ambassador to Belgium Alexander Tokovinin, diplomats, representatives of business and academic circles, cultural figures, and compatriots.
“I can only express my admiration for today’s concert. It was an amazing blend of energy, freshness, youth, and the highest professionalism,” said Ambassador Tokovinin. “Despite any conflicts, the foundation of relations between peoples is their cultural exchange, which must be preserved. An evening like this supports that purpose. It is important for people living in Belgium to remember the power and grandeur of our culture.”
On November 10, the Contemporary Choral Music Ensemble “Altro Coro” of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music performed at an Orthodox parish in Belgium — the Church of the Nativity in Antwerp — with a concert program titled “Masterpieces of Russian Sacred Music: from Mikhail Glinka to Alfred Schnittke.”
On the morning of November 11, which marks the end of World War I and is celebrated in Belgium as the main memorial holiday, the musicians participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the graves of Russian soldiers and officers at the Ixelles Cemetery in Brussels. Archpriest Pavel Nedosekin, accompanied by the Gnessin Choir, conducted a memorial service for 543 Russian soldiers and officers who fought in World War I and are buried in Belgium.
Later on November 11, at the Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky in Rotterdam, the “Altro Coro” ensemble presented their program “Masterpieces of Russian Sacred Music: from Mikhail Glinka to Alfred Schnittke.” The concert, part of “Altro Coro’s” European tour, was met with great enthusiasm by both Russian expatriates and supportive Dutch attendees. The Church of Alexander Nevsky could not accommodate all those who wished to attend. The event was organized with the support of the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands, the Russian House in Brussels, and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The rector of the Gnessin Academy, Alexander Ryzhinsky, noted that “the idea behind the program of these concerts is connected to the anniversaries of composers celebrated in 2024 — Mikhail Glinka, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Alfred Schnittke.” He added that “the historical distance between them in the concert is filled in with ‘stops’ to focus on the works of composers who were either contemporaries or followers of these great Russian artists.”
“Our listeners are immersed in the atmosphere of the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Georgy Sviridov, Rodion Shchedrin, and many other great creators for whom Russian soil is so rich,” he said. “It is a great joy for the Gnessin ensemble ‘Altro Coro’ to introduce audiences in Brussels, Antwerp, and Rotterdam to the best examples of Russian music. This is especially important today — to hear through music that there are no cultural barriers between Russian and European music; there is only great, creative art, including the art of Russian choral classics.”
Gnessin Russian Academy of Music: https://gnesin-academy.ru/news/official/altro-coro-na-gastrolyakh-v-evrope/?ysclid=m3hdfq0ax2264861448
Gazeta Cultura: https://portal-kultura.ru/articles/news/366236-v-bryussele-sostoyalsya-kontsert-khora-akademii-gnesinykh/?ysclid=m3hdhsiag212276085
Arbatskie vesti: https://arbatskievesti.moscow/2024/11/12/gnesinskij-ansambl-provel-seriyu-vystuplenij-v-evrope/?ysclid=m3hdq1qqx4594990386
TASS: https://tass.ru/kultura/22362571
Gazeta.ru: https://www.gazeta.ru/culture/news/2024/11/10/24350215.shtml?ysclid=m3hdrzg2xi561486561
Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kingdom of Belgium: https://belgium.mid.ru/ru/press-centre/news/o_vystupleniyakh_khora_akademii_muzyki_imeni_gnesinykh_v_belgii/
Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Netherlands::
Russian Orthodox Church in Belgium: https://www.archiepiskopia.be/index.php?content=article&category=news/2024&id=2024-11-10-1&lang=ru
Russian Orthodox Church in the Netherlands: http://www.ruskerk.nl/ru/index.php?Itemid=1
