Festivals
Participation in various music festivals is a long tradition of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra. It has repeatedly participated in international music festivals, including: "Russian Winter", "Christmas Eve" (Moscow), "White Nights" (Leningrad), Russian Music Festival in Vienna, "March Days" (Bulgaria), Bernstein Music Festival (Novosibirsk, Leningrad, Moscow), the Festival of Hearing "Ear" (Erlangen, Germany), the Festival of Classical Music (Cannes, France), the Dresden Music Festival, the Days of Iberian Music (Spain), the Festival of Piano Art (France), V. Spivakov Festival, (Colmar), Shanghai Spring Festival, Festival on Usedom island, etc.; in domestic festivals: the festival of the newspaper "Musical Review", the International Christmas Music Festival (Novosibirsk), "Pokrovskaya Autumn" (Novosibirsk), "Great Names. Great dates ", dedicated to the 200th anniversary of R. Schumann and the 170th anniversary of P.I. Tchaikovsky (Perm); "Stars on Lake Baikal" (Irkutsk) and "Crescendo" (Tyumen) - Artistic Director is D. Matsuev; Festival of World Symphony Orchestras (2006).
Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of A.Kats was the first of the Russian orchestras to receive the right to perform in the Column Hall of the House of Unions (Moscow) in a unique event, held for the first time and organized by the Association of Symphony and Chamber Orchestras of Russia. The President of Russia V. Putin attended the concert.
One of the most significant artistic events in the life of the collective is participation in the International Trans-Siberian Art Festival under the direction of the People’s artist of Russia Vadim Repin. (Director of the festival is Oleg Bely.) The author of the idea (2013) is Honored Worker of Art of the Russian Federation Lev Krokushansky. With the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Governor and Government of the Novosibirsk Region and the Ministry of Culture of the Novosibirsk Region, the festival is being held for the 12th time in March-April 2025. Festivals are sometimes timed to coincide with the memorial date. The first festival (2014) was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the founder of the orchestra Arnold Kats, the second – to the 175th anniversary of the birth of P.I. Tchaikovsky (2015), the third (2016) – to the 60th anniversary of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, the fourth (2017) – to the 80th anniversary of the Novosibirsk region and the 80th anniversary of Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Society. And the 11th festival (season 2023-24) like all the significant events of the season - concerts, exhibitions, films, publications, tours, etc. - was again dedicated to the anniversary of Arnold Kats - his centenary.
The festival programs feature works from different eras, styles and genres. Each festival presents premieres: Sofia Gubaidulina's work "The Rider on a White Horse" for a large symphony orchestra and the Concerto for violin and orchestra "Dialogue. Me and You", Boris Lisitsyn's symphonic poem "Music of the Sea" dedicated to Arnold Kats, Anatoly Korolev's Second Violin Concerto, Alexander Raskatov's Violin Concerto dedicated to Vadim Repin (world premieres). Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra "Shadow Walker" by the British composer Turnidge and Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Bulbul Ogly were performed for the first time in Russia in the project "Russian Premiere Tour". Novosibirsk premieres: composition for orchestra by Novosibirsk composer Elena Demidova "Tobolsk Princesses", symphonic suite by Venezuelan composer Evencio Castellanos "Temple of the Holy Cross on the Pacairigua River", Berlin concerto for violin and orchestra by Vladimir Kosma and other works.
Yevgeny Mironov and Yuri Bashmet with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra presented a performance-concert "Shakespeare. Shostakovich. Hamlet".
The orchestra performed twice in the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre in the Trans-Siberian Festival project.
All these years the orchestra’s festival posters have been filled with a constellation of names of conductors and soloists, including the new generation: Kent Nagano, Gintaras Rinkevicius, Lio Kuokman, Konstantin Lifschits, Dmitri Jurowski, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, David Lockwood, Alexei Igudesman, Michael Gutman, Mario Brunello, Alexander Knyazev, Nikolai Lugansky, Andrei Korobeynikov, Olga Borodina, Anna Samuil, Svetlana Zakharova, Pablo Fernandez, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Anton Barakhovsky, Andres Mustonen, Yukio Yokoyama, Gidon Kremer, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Tugan Sokhiev, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Pascal Tortelier, Sasha Getzel, Ekaterina Morozova, Venera Gimadieva, Yulia Mazurova, Manuel Lopez-Gomez, Dae Lin, Kristof Barati, Eva Gevorgyan, Cesar Alvarez, Pavel Milyukov, Fyodor Beznosikov, Alessandro Cadario, young Roman Borisov and Leia Zhu, Dimitris Botinis (artistic director and principal conductor of the orchestra) and, of course, Vadim Repin himself.
«I want to emphasize that the idea of the upcoming Trans-Siberian Art Festival, its point of support - is our great symphony orchestra, which despite all the difficulties - the loss of the legendary (without exaggeration of this word) musician Arnold Kats - is in great shape, splendidly plays concerts. I hope that for the orchestra the festival will also be joyous event».
«It is hardly possible to overestimate today event - the opening of Arnold Kats State Concert Hall. It is a remarkable gift to Novosibirsk, a gift to Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, which over the years, unfortunately, was forced to work in deplorable conditions. So, it is a great joy for the orchestra and a gift to the whole city».
«One of the whales of the Trans-Siberian Art Festival is Arnold Kats State Concert Hall. Second one is Novosibirsk Philharmonic orchestra that has been renowned for its level, for the name of Arnold Kats whose role is difficult to be overestimated. It was very logical and absolutely right to dedicate the first Festival to the 90th anniversary of Maestro Kats.»
«In the project of Trans-Siberian Art Festival I see the continuity — from the past to the present — and the continuation of creative ideas of maestro Kats. I am extremely glad that I was able to infect Vadim Repin with this idea. Vadim began his big career ascent in Novosibirsk with our orchestra under the direction of Arnold Kats and when he saw the State Concert Hall named after Maestro he was imbued with consciousness of the necessity of the festival. Already at the first meeting, we agreed that the first festival would be dedicated to the approaching 90th anniversary of Maestro. I don’t want to anticipate events, but knowing Vadim’s plans I'm sure that our project will take a worthy place among the best festivals of the world.»
«When you stand in front of the unfamiliar team, you never know what to expect. It's not just about a quality, it is about humans: who knows whether there will be a communication between you, whether there will be a chemical reaction? Especially if you're from San Francisco and they are from Novosibirsk. It turned out that the musicians possess rich fantasy as well as seriousness; they can and they are able to search the depth of music. So our one rehearsal was worth three or four.
We never played the entire program. As Vadim said, the easiest for the professional is to pass a piece from beginning to end. Any professional orchestra will succeed. But it is not the most effective way when you need to build relationships with the music. We excluded this step and immediately began to be absorbed deeper. And at the concert, trusting each other, we «let» music free floating.»
"I have never met this orchestra before, but it showed so much imagination and such a serious approach to the work that the effect from one our rehearsal was like from three or four ones. We have achieved a lot and, having secured mutual trust, just let the music sounded. And this can be very exciting when people share each other's ideas."
«I want to say that all musicians of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra are great!!! Wonderful faces, even some of the violinists in tears — so touched by the music. It is very important for me. Musicians always play well when they enjoy. I have been on the stage for 27 years and I know that when they enjoy they are trying hard, and then there is something outstanding. So I hope that we succeeded. I thank them very much!»
«Great audience, great soloists and beautiful orchestra! And it is fantastic to play music like this. By request of Vadim Repin I made a humorous concert for the Festival. I performed such concerts many times and they are very popular. It is interesting that I did not have any difficulties with Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra. I had experience with the orchestras that initially were overcautious. They told me about this orchestra: «Oh, be careful, this is a conservative orchestra!» But from the very beginning the musicians coughed, laughed, danced, did everything and with great pleasure. I see that the musicians of Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra are very open».
«For a number of reasons maestro Valery Gergiev will not be with us today < ... > I decided to play Shostakovich concerto — the first time ever — without a conductor. Exclusively due to the highest artistic and professional level of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, I 'm sure that it is possible. No one until today has dared to such kind of musical heroic deed. I am proud that the orchestra is ready to go with me. I believe in each of the artists of this unique team. This performance will be our next world premiere, which completed the first Trans-Siberian Art Festival!»
«Of course, the orchestra was the hero of the evening. Woodwinds and brass and violins headed by the People’s artist of Russia Valery Karchaguin — each group was in place, leading its party exactly and with confidence. From time to time Vadim Repin, as he later called it, conducted the orchestra «with clumsy movements ridiculous for them», but the musicians understood him perfectly, and this thread of interaction invisibly presented from the beginning to the end.
After the second part the melody flew, soared, reaching the depths of consciousness, turned soul inside out, what Shostakovich was a master. From time to time the heart stopped – if they make a mistake, go the wrong way without a conductor … No way! The musicians played on such a degree, in the euphoria that adrenaline seemed to boil over. Managed brilliantly.
Perhaps, this concert will become history not only of the festival and Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, but of musical life of the world in general.»
"I performed as a pianist with Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra 10 years ago - and then my impressions were very good, and now they are even better. It is very important to me and I am pleased when the musicians come to me and say what my music means to them, they know my other compositions. When people from the orchestra come up to you - it's the highest compliment. I was very touched. In this orchestra it is absolutely no feeling that the work for musicians is a routine. You don’t meet such an attitude so often."
"Ravel sounds great on Siberian land! When I played the second part of his G-major concert, I thought about the quiet landscapes, vast snowfields of Siberia... I was impressed by a perfect combination: severe Siberian nature, frosts and great warm audience! It is a very risky venture – to play a concert program with a new orchestra on the day of arrival. But I want to applaud to Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra - they are brave and daring musicians! Ravel Piano Concerto is a very complex work in which practically every instrument plays solo. Thanks to the good preparation of the orchestra, we could do with only one rehearsal. Excellent work, thank you!"
"Unfortunately, we had only two days of rehearsals. It is extremely little to do the work of such scale as Mahler's First Symphony. But today, the musicians proved themselves at the highest level, tumbled over themselves, and gave them wholly. I am very satisfied with the orchestra!"
"Without exaggeration, the hero of the festival and its fundamental pillar is Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, which performed five times with four different conductors (Gintaras Rinkevicius, Dmitry Yurowski, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit). Huge burden and great responsibility fell on the musicians of the orchestra, but remembering the amazing orchestra’s sound, the quality, creative enthusiasm and emotional depth of the programs, I want to shake all musicians’ hands and thank them for this impressive musical holiday".
«However, it is quite logical the Novosibirsk Philharmonic orchestra became the basis and the hero of the festival. A wide repertoire - from the popular "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel to a world premiere; accompaniment to the pianists, violinists, ensembles; work with different conductors – besides "native" Gintaras Rinkevicius (artistic director of the orchestra), the orchestra was conducted by Dmitry Yurowski, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit. The highest level of highly-trained, sensitive, flexible and mobile music ensemble was proved again!"
“ I know three orchestras in Russia with unique, distinctive and special sounding. They are: Tchaikovsky Symphony orchestra – artistic director Vladimir Fedoseev, Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra – artistic director Yuriy Temirkanov, and Novosibirsk Philharmonic orchestra – artistic director Gintaras Rinkevicius. There are no others.”
“Your orchestra is very good. The traditions introduced by Arnold Mikhailovich Kats, who created it and had headed for 50 years play a great role. It is a very rare case. But the orchestra continues its development without the maestro.
One can never meet such an attitude – believe me, I know very many orchestras.
Neither in Moscow, nor in Saint-Petersburg, nobody shows such an attitude to music, such a desire to understand the conductor, such a desire to go towards one another. Your soloists are wonderful, but the main thing, is that you not simply play, you create Music.
We played Weber’s First symphony – an unpopular composition, unfortunately, unlike Tchaikovsky, for instance. It was the first performance here, at the festival.
And we did it well.
I am grateful to Vadim Repin for the invitation to take part in the festival together with your wonderful orchestra – it turned out so that I never played with you; for the fact that I got acquainted with an amazing pianist – Nicolas Angelich and we performed the Second piano concert by Brahms – a complex and massive composition.
I hope our pleasure from communication was mutual.”
