August 23 the Spasskaya Tower Children Playground hosted the opening ceremony of the junior wind bands festival.
It featured the participation of Colonel Evgeniy Nikitin, Conductor of the President’s Band, Music Director of the Spasskaya Tower Children and Youth Wind Bands Festival and Honored Artist of Russia, Mr. Anatoliy Zep, Vice-President of the Wind Society of Wind Bands, Percussion and Wind Performers named after Valery Khalilov, Head of the Music Art Section of the Polenov Russian National House of Folk Arts and Honored Worker of Culture of Russia, and Mr. Vladimir Egorov, Deputy Director General of Baskin Robbins.
Addressing guests of the Children Playground Colonel Evgeniy Nikitin greeted everybody with the opening of the Spasskaya Tower for Children pointing out that owing to the bigger amount of applications received, the organizers decided to increase the number of the festival’s days to four. “This time we will welcome ensembles from eight Russian regions and five federal districts as well as three bands from abroad, including Tashkent, Donetsk and Israel’s city of Lod. I wish you all good luck and big successes”, added music director of the junior festival.
Mr. Zep noted that this year’s festival run enjoys the support by the Russian Ministry of Culture, Culture National Project and Wind Society of Wind Bands, Percussion and Wind Performers named after Valery Khalilov.
Mr. Vladimir Egorov, Deputy Director General of Baskin Robbins also welcomed the participants and guests of the Sixth Spasskaya Tower Children and Youth Wind Bands Festival whishing them good mood and all the best.
The Lod and Hertzelia Concert Band from Israel had the honor to open the festival. They performed several music pieces including Tukhmanov’s Victory Day and Hava Nageela popular Jewish song.
Meny Matalon, Head of the Band, told that his ensemble was made up of boys and girls aged from 14 to 18 coming from different Israeli cities mainly Lod and Hertzelia. The band was formed on the basis of the music school for gifted children. “Our band often performs in Europe including the Netherlands, Hungary, Macedonia, France, Great Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic. While in Russia we are performing for the first time”, said Mr. Matalon.
This year 26 music ensembles will step onto the stage of the Children Playground. Ten of them are prize-winners of the Third Spasskaya Tower Children and Youth Wind Bands Contest, the qualifying round for the main festival held among the representatives of the Central Federal District. Thirteen music ensembles come from the South, North-Western, North and Privolzhskiy Federal Districts. Besides, there will be four foreign bands representing Belarus, Uzbekistan, Donetsk and Israel. Owing to the bigger amount of applications received this year, the organizers gave way and increased the number of the festival’s days to four.
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Held within the bigger Spasskaya Tower for Children project since 2014, the festival is growing every year expanding both its geographical footprint and number of participants. So far more than 2000 talented boys and girls representing artistic groups from 18 regions of Russia as well as Israel, Donetsk and Lugansk regions have shown their skills on Red Square, the very heart of Moscow. One of the major tasks set by the organizers is searching for young talented artists and helping them in their development by creating favorable environment and conditions.