The music of legendary composer of the 20th century Dmitry Shostakovich was for the first time played in the Virgin Mary Cathedral in the village of Shemetovo, Myadel District.
On maestro’s birthday, 25 September, the church in Shemetovo hosted a wonderful concert. It has been recently revealed that Dmitry Shostakovich’s ancestors were from the Belarusian village. Great grandfather of the famous composer Piotr Mikhailovich Shostakovich was born in Shemetovo in 1808. This information was found by Belarusian-born citizen of France, famous opera singer, head of the French association Exchange: France-Belarus Arkady Volodos. He was the initiator of the project supported by the Permanent Delegation of Belarus to UNESCO, the Embassy of Belarus in France, the Belarusian State Music Academy, local authorities, and, of course, all amateurs of Dmitry Shostakovich's music.
Guests from Belarus and other countries, residents of Shemetovo and other villages gathered together in the church to listen to String Quartet No. 3, elegy, polka, prelude, scherzo. Arkady Volodos stressed that music meetings to mark the anniversary of the great composer took place in various towns all over the world on 25 September. Son of the great composer, conductor and pianist Maksim Shostakovich extended greeting to the participants of the first concert in Shemetovo from St. Petersburg.