Gergiev Festival 2017 is dedicated to Russian avant-garde. It is exactly 100 years since Revolution year 1917, and the festival aims to create an image of this hectic and exciting time in the Russian arts by featuring composers like Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
This era of experimental music will be highlighted in four symphony concerts, the chamber music programmes and a family performance.
The festival will take place in De Doelen, one of the leading concert halls in the Netherlands, famed for its clear and transparent acoustics and easy accessibility.
Main performances
The main performances per day of the Gergiev festival are:
Thursday
A multimedia chamber music performance by violinist Liza Ferschtman and actor Thom Hoffman, inspired by the revolution period.
A festival opening by Valery Gergiev and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Scriabin and Stravinsky.
Friday
Experimental works inspired by industrialisation in music programme The Machine, and music by the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Ballet Music “The Twelve” by Tishchenko, never before performed in a Dutch concert hall.
Prokofiev’s October Cantata, performed by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rotterdam Symphony Chorus.
Saturday
Fourth and fifth symphony of Shostakovich, created around the end of the avant-garde era.
An orchestra of young talents of the Royal Conservatory and Codarts, conducted by Valery Gergiev.