On June 15, the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre will introduce The Schubertiad to the audience - the first concert from the author’s project Harp Invites. The project author is a concertmaster of the theatre orchestra, harpist Kira Lagozinskaya. 

The harp can be heard nearly in any production and large-scale theatre concert, but it rarely is played solo or in small chamber programmes in Krasnoyarsk: too few harpists are now being trained in the country, not enough people want to play the harp and popularize it. Kira decided to remedy this glaring omission. The first concert of the cycle is dedicated to the outstanding Austrian composer Franz Schubert. Opera soloists and orchestra musicians will perform fragments of the composer’s major works, his instrumental and vocal miniatures, in which the harp is involved. Some arrangements for the harp were made by Kira Lagozinskaya herself. 

Kira told that she had hit upon the idea of ​​opening a series of harp concerts with he music of the Viennese romanticist thanks to the soloist of the Krasnoyarsk Opera House Anna Avakyan. Anna said that she would like to perform something from Schubert. The singer has worked in Germany for several years, speaks German well, loves to sing in this language, and took up, with pleasure, the offer to perform in a new chamber programme. 

Along with Kira and Anna, soprano singer Inna Spodina, baritone Yuri Zabolotnov, and musicians of the theatre’s orchestra will also take part in performing The Schubertiad (Alisa Harmats, Natalia Bychkova, Yulia Sabitova - violins, Daria Kaysina - clarinet, Svetlana Khrushkova - cello, Polina Sokur - viola, Natalya Sobinkova - piano). The concert will be emceed by Aliona Zafran. 

“The harp is very multifaceted, universal instrument, it can be used to perform music of all genres, styles, and eras; and everywhere it will sound bright and expressive,” says the author of the project. “I want to show a wide range of possibilities of my instrument: the harp is played solo, in duets, and with different chamber bands, instrumental and vocal, and with a symphony orchestra - there are no limits. In June we’ll perform The Schubertiad in the theatre’s art cafe; and in the fall, perhaps, we’ll be ready to present the project at other venues - and I hope, not only in Krasnoyarsk.”