Festival of premieres to be held in Kazan

Prospects of joint events to be held in the framework of the oncoming celebration of Kazan’s millennium were discussed at the meeting of Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev and Chairman of the Composers’ Union of Russia, President of the Russian authors’ society Vladislav Kazenin at the Kazan Kremlin on January 23.

Vladislav Kazenin is not just a well-known composer. He put a lot of effort into development of multinational home art and due to his wonderful managerial abilities, according to Mintimer Shaimiev, did his best. He has written music to more than 100 movies and plays. He has been the head of the Composer’s Union of Russia, which now comprises 43 local organisations, for 13 years.

Tatarstan President marked that the RT Composers’ Union has always been a very strong one, and today its level and authority overstep the bounds of Tatar musical art. Vladislav Kazenin agreed with President and noted that the Composer’s Union of Tatarstan is third (not by number of workers, but importance) after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Here in Tatarstan, a lot of Russian projects have been implemented; a lot of world artists come to Tatarstan. For example, “Europe-Asia” Festival organised by the Composers’ Union of Tatarstan has become a tradition and attracts performers from many parts of the world.

The upcoming millennium of Kazan and above facts have called forth the visit of the Chairman of the Composers’ Union of Russia to Tatarstan. We cannot pass over such a date in a silence, he said. It is a great holiday of the people, the holiday of the culture.

The interlocutors agreed upon holding the Music Academy of Peredvizhnik Movement in the framework of the anniversary celebration of the Tatarstan capital. This form of communication of well-known artists with the youth has existed for over 10 years and visited 30 cities, and has been to Tatarstan twice. In May of 2005, it will take place in the cities of the republic. A grandiose festival of symphonic, chamber, and choral music will be the final event, which is to bring leading artists and performers of Tatarstan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other cities of Russia to Kazan. Tatarstan composers, musicians and performers living abroad, such as Sofia Gubaidullina for example, should take part in the events too. The festival has to become a festival of premieres, new music. Mintimer Shaimiev believes that each time has to remain in artists’, musicians’ works. The 1000th anniversary of Kazan is a grand cause.