Opinions & Interviews

According to Yuri Bashmet, he interpreted the Eugene Onegin opera for those who were not interested in the classics before. This is one of the ways to introduce people to the world music masterpiece.

"The festival is already 10 years old, and it is an indication that there are people who care about all this, who love what they do,” Yuri Bashmet said. He noted that all these years the Belarusian festival has seen the works which can be considered as model pieces.

He noted that in the future children will be invited to the festival to give them more exposure and introduce them to the mass audience. The maestro also expressed hope that the Yuri Bashmet International Festival will become the place for the world premieres be the coming years.

For her part, Belarus’ First Deputy Culture Minister Irina Driga noted that for the ten years the festival has become the largest event of the country in the field of classical music. "This is a great chance for the Belarusian audience to see world-class artists, to popularize the classics, and provide an opportunity for young talents to participate in projects together with international stars," she added.

This year the festival will feature traditional workshops and meetings with famous artists at the Belarusian Academy of Music. One of them, for example, will be Russia People's Artist Konstantin Khabensky.