The 11th International Festival Music of the Great Hermitage

6 July, 2011 the Hermitage Theater held the press-conference, dedicated to opening of the 11th International Festival Music of the Great Hermitage.

The press-conference was participated by Deputy Director of the State Hermitage Vladimir Matveev, Artistic Director of the Festival Sergey Yevtushenko, a participant of the Festival, pianist and composer Andrey Kondakov and sponsors' representatives.

The 11th International Festival Music of the Great Hermitage is organized by the State Hermitage and the Hermitage Academy of Music with assistance of the Committee on Culture of St Petersburg Government. The festival traces its roots to the concert in the Grand Court Yard of the Winter Palace in June, 2001 in which a monumental musical piece Seven Gates of Jerusalem by Krzysztof Penderecki, a classicist of modern music, distinguished Polish composer was played.

Concerts of the 11th International Festival Music of the Great Hermitage takes place on 7 and 8 July in the open air in the Grand Court of Honor of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage Theater

The Festival will open on 7 July with a traditional jazz concert in the Grand Court of Honor of the Winter Palace. The permanent participant of the festival's jazz programs Andrey Kondakov will appear as a dramatist of the musical performance, named JAZZ GUITAR SHOW in which two distinguished musicians - Poll Bollenback (the USA) and Sylvain Luc (France) will participate. Poll is already known for St Petersburg lovers of jazz music by joint performances with Andrey Kondakov. Sylvain Luc will appear in front of the Russian audience for the first time. For the moment he is, perhaps, one of the brightest and most popular guitarist players of France. The main intrigue of the project is constant competition of American and European jazz traditions.

On 8 July, within the framework of the crisscross year of Spain in Russia and Russia in Spain the Festival will introduce one of the most interesting groups of modern flamenco - Almasäla, the concert of which will take place in the open air. The group was established by the soloist Paloma Povedano, former participant of a legendary group Ojos de Brujo, famous masters of "Catalan Rumba"- a new style, combining in itself traditional Spanish music with modern technologies, elements of rumba, reggae and even hip-hop. Inheriting profitable experience of Barcelonan stage of the turn of the 20th-21st centuries, Almasäla continues the search, mixing Andalusian music with Latin American rhythms, electronics, Oriental and African tunes.

Lovers of choral singing will be able to get acquainted with a remarkable choral group from the USA, the Laureate of Grammy Award - the Choir of Boys from San-Francisco. A public concert of the choir within the framework of Program Music of the Great Hermitage will take place on 8July in the Hermitage Theater

General Partner of the Festival:

United Breweries Heineken, LLC

Official Partners of the Festival:

Philips Company, Onego Shipping Company

Partners of the Festival:

Lufthanza Company, Sokos Hotels, Royal Company

General Information Partners:

The Hermitage Radio, Time-Out St Peterburg

tel./fax: (812) 710 9543

www.hermitagemusic.ru

hermitagemusic@hermitage.ru

At the press-conference

Vladimir Matveev, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage

Sergey Yevtushenko, Artistic Director of the Festival

Andrey Kondakov, pianist and composer, the participant of the Festival

Lyubov Yegorova, Regional Public Relations Manager of Heineken Company

Pyotr Voronin, Key Account Manager of Philips Company