MARIINSKY THEATRE ORCHESTRA GAVE TWO CONCERTS IN NABEREZHNYE CHELNY

25 April 2018

On Tuesday, April 24, with the assistance of KAMAZ PTC and personally Sergey Kogogin, Director General of the Company, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the baton of legendary conductor Valery Gergiev gave concerts in Naberezhnye Chelny.

In the afternoon, the well-known group performed with an hour program at the automobile plant of KAMAZ: workers devoted their lunch break to a rendezvous with high music.

Sergey Kogogin, Director General of KAMAZ PTC, on behalf of many thousands of employees expressed his sincere gratitude to Maestro Gergiev. "Fore these years you and your renowned group have become true friends of KAMAZ. And I'll do everything so that our friendship could last for many-many years," promised the head of the auto giant. In his turn, Valery Gergiev thanked the company for an invitation and an opportunity to demonstrate the richness of the orchestra's repertoire right in the production shop.

"Today is a unique day not only for KAMAZ workers, but also for the orchestra. The music that was played in the world's best halls will sound in the shop of the vehicle assembly plant," said Alfiya Kogogina, Deputy of the RF State Duma, welcoming the group. "It will flow fr om the strings of the orchestra into the shop of the auto giant wh ere real virtuosos in their field – engineers and workers – build the best Russian vehicles with their own hands." In her speech she drew a parallel between the workers of the automobile plant who create music of roaring engines and speed with the legendary orchestra masterfully performing well-known classical pieces.

The music program was opened by the Waltz from the Nutcracker ballet by P.I. Tchaikovsky. Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and other famous classical pieces were played too. The workers thanked the musicians with long-lasting applause and bunches of flowers.

This day will go down in KAMAZ's history as one of the brightest cultural events. It is symbolic that a mobile stage was mounted on six KAMAZ-5490 vehicles, right at the production site. Dressing rooms were organized right here, in the shops.

After the concert, Valery Gergiev paid attention to the mass media of Naberezhnye Chelny and Tatarstan having answered the journalists' all questions. "KAMAZ sounds like a winner of world rally championships. Great!" the maestro replied to a question about the acoustics of the plant. "We found it exciting to perform here. Maybe every second or even two out of three have today for the first time heard a live performance of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and it makes you think about the importance of such a concert."

"Our people are working hard from early morning until late at night, and I believe this is an emotional outburst for our workers," Sergey Kogogin commented on the idea of the concert at the production premises having thanked Valery Gergiev for the performance. "Having appeared at the plant, you paid homage to our staff."

Later on the same day, the guests performed at the Organ Hall of Naberezhnye Chelny with an equally impressive program inspiring sincere feelings having played masterpieces of classical music. The concerts took place as a part of the XVII Moscow Easter festival covering almost 30 cities of Russia this year, and, without exaggeration, became the event of the year in the cultural life of the Motor City.

It should be noted that this is Valery Gergiev's fourth visit to Naberezhnye Chelny initiated by KAMAZ. Thus, in 2010, the Mariinsky Orchestra gave a charitable concert, and proceeds from ticket sales went to the CP Children Foundation and the Emerald City project supported by KAMAZ. The musicians' next visit took place in 2013 – the event was organized to celebrate the 45th anniversary of KAMAZ. A year ago, in 2017, the famous group visited the city with a program of the XVI Moscow Easter Festival.

Top