The festival Stars Parade at the Opera. Slovtsov starts on 20 January with a gala concert dedicated to the 180th anniversary of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and the 220th anniversary of Mikhail Glinka. The programme includes the performances of arias, duets, ensembles, instrumental fragments from operas of two great Russian composers.

Being not only a composer but also a teacher, conductor, public figure, music critic, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov created 15 operas. The repertoire of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre includes three of them: The Tsar’s Bride, Sadko, and The Snow Maiden.

The Tsar's Bride will obtain the most significant representation in the concert programme: the arias of Marfa (performed by the Bolshoi Theatre soloist Olga Seliverstova) and oprichnik Grigori Gryazny (Rauf Timergazin), the Yar-Khmel choir, the duet of Gryazny and Lyubasha (Rauf Timergazin and soloist of the Hagop Baronian Yerevan State Musical Comedy Theatre Bella Amaryan), quartet of the second act of the opera.

The programme includes the most popular arias from Sadko: the Varangian Guest aria (soloist of the Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Armenia Gosh Sargsyan) and Volkhova (Anna Avakyan). The characters of the dramatic musical fairy tale The Snow Maiden will be presented on the Krasnoyarsk stage on January 20 and 21 by Olga Seliverstova, Rauf Timergazin (as Snow Maiden and Mizgir), Olga Basova (as Spring); the final chorus of the opera performed by all participants will also be the finale of the concert.

Excerpts from other Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas less known to the Krasnoyarsk audience will also be performed in the Stars Parade: May Night (the concert will open with an overture to this work), The Tale of Tsar Saltan, Kashchei the Immortal.

The work of Mikhail Glinka will be presented by two singers possessing powerful bass voices: The aria of Ruslan and Farlaf’s rondo from the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila will be performed by Anatoly Badaev; the tragic aria of Ivan Susanin from the opera A Life for the Tsar will be performed by guest soloist Gosh Sargsyan.

The festival Stars Parade at the Opera. Slovtsov will be held at the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre from January 20 to April 25, 2024. Tickets for all events can be purchased using the Pushkin Card.