Ildar Abdrazakov and Ramon Vargas masterclasses will be held in St. Petersburg

Traditionally, the selection of participants is made personally by Ildar Abdrazakov based on submitted video applications. This year, more than 400 of them were received, the press service of the Ildar Abdrazakov Foundation told Bashinform News Agency.

“I'm always excited to start the audition process, looking forward to hearing new voices and discovering names that may become big artists. Of course, in the master classes, I want to share my experience, reveal the guys' strengths, help, and suggest. And I am happy that this year a world-famous artist, my friend, and now the coach of the Abdrazakovfest educational program, Ramon Vargas, will join me,” says Ildar Abdrazakov.

Master classes are the most essential part of the festival. Since the start of the project, about 5.5 thousand applications have been received from Russia, Austria, Belarus, Great Britain, Uzbekistan, Germany, Greece, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Mongolia, Armenia, France, Israel, South Korea, Japan, China, Ecuador, and Guatemala. Participants of open lessons receive invaluable experience, including the opportunity to perform on the same stage with opera stars. Some of them have already received further Russian and international engagements.

This year, the brightest young artists from the educational program will perform with Ildar Abdrazakov at the VI International Music Festival in the cities of the concert tour - Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Samara, and Kazan.

Recall that the opening of the festival will take place on September 25. The VI International Music Festival of Ildar Abdrazakov is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian bass Fyodor Chaliapin. Ildar Abdrazakov, Ramon Vargas, and the Mariinsky Opera soloists will participate in the concert. Valery Gergiev will be the conductor of the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra. The evening program includes arias and duets from operas by Russian and foreign composers.

Author: Leyla Aralbaeva