On 21-25 July, 2003, the Hermitage hosted the concert program "Carnival in Northern Venice" of the 3rd International Music Festival "Greater Hermitage Music", presented by the Hermitage Music Academy Foundation and Radio Hermitage.
The city founded by Peter I on the islands in the Neva delta is often referred to as Northern Venice. It was in the Imperial Palace in the center of St. Petersburg that cultural traditions of the new Russia were born, including its music.
Paying homage to these musical traditions, the Hermitage initiated a program of concerts of classical music in the museum halls, the Hermitage Theater and the Winter Palace courtyard.

On 26 June, 2001, 360 musicians from 6 European countries performed in the Hermitage Courtyard Krzysztof Penderecki's oratorium "The Seven Gates of Jerusalem", conducted by the composer.
From 3 to 6 July, 2002, the Big Throne (St. George) Hall for the first time hosted the concert "Vivat Hermitage!" and other concerts performed by musicians from St. Petersburg, Germany, Sweden and Lithuania.
In 2003, three concerts were given in the Hermitage and the Winter Palace courtyard.

On 21 July, the 3rd International Music Festival "Greater Hermitage Music" was opened by the Hermitage musical promenade, accompanied by soloists of the Hermitage Orchestra, chamber ensembles and Millenium Chamber Choir. The promenade took guests of the festival to the Big Italian Sky-light Hall, where the Italian chamber orchestra "Accademia Bizantina" conducted by Ottavio Dantone performed music of Mozart, Haydn and arias and fragments from Sarti's opera "Julio Sabino" written in Venice in 1781.

On 23 July, the museum's courtyard was full of people wearing traditional Venetian carnival masks and dresses. Lyubov Kazarnovskaya's gala concert was preceded by Italian music performed by chamber instrumental ensembles, chamber choirs and the Admiralty Orchestra of the Leningrad Naval Base. The ballet company "Style" and actors wearing costumes from Aleksandr Sokurov's film "Russian Ark" took part in the theatrical performance. The concert was opened by fragments from Petr Chaykovsky's opera "Swan Lake" performed by the National Academic Theater of Ballet of St. Petersburg (artistic director Yury Petukhov). Arias from Italian operas were performed by a big symphony orchestra and four choirs, conducted by maestro Saulus Sondeckis.

On 25 July, the musical program in the palace courtyard was opened by Petr Chaykovsky's "Italian Capriccio", performed by the National Academic Theater of Ballet of St. Petersburg. The Italian opera star Katia Riciarelli and soloists of the Mariinsky Theater sang areas and scenes from Italian operas of the 17th-20th centuries, conducted by Mats Liljefors (Sweden).

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Katia Riciarelli

Lubov Kazarnovskaya

Saulius Sondeckis

Italian chamber orchestra
Accademia Bizantina

Millenium
Chamber Choir

Actors wearing costumes