Only a few days left before the opening of the festival named after V. Barsova and M. Maksakova

The festival of vocal art named after Valery Barsova and Maria Maksakova is one of the brightest events of our region musical life. The festival is held once in two years for more than 25 years. For connoisseurs of classical music, this is always a welcome event. The 14th International Astrakhan Festival has been awaited for 3 years and this year the event will be dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Astrakhan province.

For 30 years, the festival changed its status  twice: at first it was National, then - International. By tradition, the XIV International Festival will start on April 8, the birthday of Maria Petrovna Maksakova. These days the opera stars will perform before the Astrakhan audience. Many prominent soloists, as well as young talented performers from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia will take part in the musical event.

Laureate of international competitions, the soloist of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus Andrey Valentiy (bass) is among them. He has a unique in beauty tone. Valentiy has toured extensively with solo concerts in France, Germany, England, Belgium and performed at the famous stage of the theatre "La Scala".

Laureate of international and Russian competitions the soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre Alexander Timchenko (tenor). Alexander Timchenko will take part in the International Festival of Vocal Art named after Barsova and Maksakova for the second time. In 2002, he made his debut at the Mariinsky Theatre as Lensky ("Eugene Onegin"). This same part he will perform at the festival  in Astrakhan.

Laureate of international and Russian competitions, the prima of the Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre Elena Razgulyaeva (soprano). Elena has been a guest soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. She has sung Mimi in the opera “La Bohème” and the title part in the opera “Iolanta” on the historical stage of the Bolshoi.

Honored artist of Russia, laureate of international and Russian competitions the soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre Peter Migunov (bass) will take part  in the festival .

In 2003, he made his debut at the Bolshoi Theatre. Now there are more than 20 solo parts in his repertoire. He is one of the most popular singers, he has performed in the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, in the State Academic Chapel of St. Petersburg, has participated in the festivals "St. Petersburg Musical Spring", "Stars of the White Nights".

He has toured extensively in the USA, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Greece, South Korea, Japan

Laureate of international and Russian competitions, the Russian Gnesin Academy of Music graduate ,the leading soloist of the Sochi Philharmonic Society Ekaterina Bogacheva (soprano) is among the participants of the long-awaited event. She took part in concert programs in the framework of the Cultural Olympiad "Sochi-2014", the Winter International Festival of Arts in Sochi under the leadership of maestro Yuri Bashmet. Ekaterina is not the first time in Astrakhan. At the end of last year, the young soloist performed for the first time at the Astrakhan Conservatory and the church  in the framework of organ concerts.

The soloists of the Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre will take part in the festival: laureates of international competitions Irina Belaya, Oksana Voronina, Alexander Malyshko, Alexey Mikhailov, Ruslan Sigbatulin and others.

During the festival music of different styles and eras will sound, representing a variety of genres and forms. The opera "Eugene Onegin" by P.I. Tchaikovsky will be performed at the Opera and Ballet Theatre; concerts of folk and chamber music will be held in the regional Philharmonic Society. Young talents - participants of the regional cultural and educational project "Astrakhan Children's Philharmonic" - will perform  together with the famous soloists. Spiritual music will sound at the conservatory. Festival concerts will take place in two districts of the region - Volodarsky and Krasnoyarsky.

You can book tickets for the International Festival at the box offices of the Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre, of the Astrakhan Philharmonic Society and on Chudobilet.ru. The price of tickets is from 150 to 450 rubles.