On March 29, the closing day of the 15th International Festival Stars Parade at the Opera. Slovtsov, the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre invites audiences to a traditional pre-performance talk in its “30 Minutes Before…” format. The event will begin in the second-floor foyer half an hour before the maestro takes the stage.

The discussion will be moderated by the theatre’s regular lecturer, musicologist Lyudmila Gavrilova, Doctor of Arts, Head of the Faculty of Music History at the Siberian State Institute of Arts, and a member of the Union of Composers of Russia. Her guest will be the distinguished singer and teacher, People’s Artist of Russia Larisa Marzoyeva.

Titled From Slovtsov to Leiferkus: From the People’s House in St. Petersburg to the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Krasnoyarsk, the talk will explore connections across different eras—from the origins of operatic life in the city to the anniversary concert of a legendary artist. The speakers will reflect on continuity of tradition, the dialogue between past and present, and the cultural links between the St. Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk stages.

The evening’s closing concert is dedicated to People’s Artist of the RSFSR Sergei Leiferkus who returns to Krasnoyarsk to celebrate his 80th birthday. The programme features three contrasting works: Act I of Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, the overture Dawn on the Moscow River from Khovanshchina by Modest Mussorgsky, and the satirical Anti-Formalist Rayok by Dmitri Shostakovich. Together, these works highlight the full range of the maestro’s artistry and his distinctive dramatic presence.