Honoured Artist of Russia Alexei Khodorchenkov will perform as assistant conductor for the period of rehearsing Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem dedicated to the victims of the siege of Leningrad. On the day of performing Requiem, one of the most famous conductors of our time, People's Artist of Russia Pavel Kogan will take to the conductor's stand at the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Alexei Khodorchenkov is a conductor and double bass player, artist of the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Kogan.

“For any theatre or concert hall, performing Verdi's Requiem is a demanding event that involves an orchestra, choir, soloists. Even more demanding if it is dedicated to the day of lifting the siege of Leningrad, as it is now. I’m very pleased to take part in preparing such an event. The artists of the orchestra of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre already know their parts because another version of this work has already been staged at the theatre. I’m aware of the concept and requirements of maestro Kogan, and my task as an assistant conductor is to check the readiness of the orchestra and adjust the beat before Pavel Leonidovich arrives in Krasnoyarsk. I carry out the technical preparation of the material so that the Art could be created when the time came”, commented Alexei Khodorchenkov.

On January 27, Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem will be performed in Russian (translated and staged by Sergei Novikov) in another three Russian cities alongside Krasnoyarsk - St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Novosibirsk. The Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre will also host the All-Russian campaign Bread of the Siege that is one of the events of the Year of Memory and Glory - this status was accorded to the year 2020, the year of the 75th anniversary of the Victory.