On September 19, at the Russian House in Brussels, the first musical conference of the 2024/2025 season was held presented by Maestro Andrei Chevtchouk, symphony orchestra conductor and choir director with more than 25 years of experience musical in France, Belgium, Germany and across Europe, as well as in Russia in various theaters and festivals, as well as in the role of artistic director of opera festivals.

This special evening celebrated the jubilees of great Russian composers of the 19th century: Michel Glinka, Nikolaï Rimsky-Korsakov and Modest Mussorgsky, as well as Alfred Schnittke, one of our eminent contemporaries.

The audience listened with great attention to the story of Michel Glinka, often considered the father of Russian music, famous for his pioneering works such as “A Life for the Tsar” and “Ruslan and Ludmila”, founders of the musical identity Russian romantic.

Video clips of various performances of musical masterpieces accompanied the Maestro’s narrative, who then paid tribute to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, known for his operas and orchestral works that capture the richness of Russian folklore with unparalleled mastery.

Maestro Chevtchouk continued by telling us about the music and history, which meet in Modest Mussorgsky’s daring and innovative works, such as “Boris Godunov” and “Pictures at an Exhibition”, redefined the musical landscape of his era.

At the end of the lecture, Maestro introduced one of our near-contemporaries, Alfred Schnittke, who fused diverse musical styles and explored innovative techniques while remaining rooted in Russian tradition, thus marking a new era in Russian music. 20th century.

The start of the musical season took place in an atmosphere rich in emotions and discoveries, while awaiting other events in the program of the 2024/2025 season.