The “Petersburg Embankments” Music Festival closed in the Presidential Library with the memory night of Dmitry Hvorostovsky

The Presidential Library hosted a big event in the cultural life of the Northern Capital — a concert dedicated to the memory of Dmitry Hvorostovsky. World-renowned musicians have participated in the night. American tenor Lawrence Brownlee performed the best opera arias, accompanied by the Youth Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg under the conduction of Konstantin Orbelian. The organizers of the “Petersburg Embankments” Festival are the “Palaces of St. Petersburg” International Music Foundation,” which president is Maria Safaryants, and the Presidential Library.

As the vice-governor of St. Petersburg and the head of the Administration of the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Hovorunov stressed out, Dmitry Hvorostovsky has greatly contributed in the fine arts. Personally so kind and sympathetic gentleman, he was energizing everyone who was around with his amazing positive energy, but behind his extraordinary charisma was a strong character in life and on the stage.

The outstanding artist Dmitry Hvorostovsky, who glorified Russia at the world opera stages, was a friend of the “Petersburg Embankments” and personally of many performers who participated in this festival. With the orchestra of Constantine Orbelian, Dmitry Hvorostovsky during 2016 recorded in St. Petersburg an album “Sviridov: Otchalivshaya Rus / Sailed away Russia” on Sergey Yesenin’s verses, published in 2017.

The Siberian based Hvorostovsky filled the entire Sviridov cycle with that Russian spirit, which is difficult to express in words. Only a man with a truly Russian soul could have that feel of its native musical sense, a depth of Russian music and so fully live every given moment of life. It was that inner self, which, along with unique vocal giftedness, made Dmitri Hvorostovsky, so attractive for the audience and so in demand, apart from in domestic theaters, also abroad.

Hvorostovsky performed at the Royal Theater of Covent Garden (London), the Bavarian State Opera (Munich State Opera), the Berlin State Opera, the La Scala Theater (Milan), the Vienna State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera (New York)…

Arias from operas and operettas by V. Bellini, D. Puccini, D. Rossini, J. Bizet, and J. Offenbach were sounded that concert night in the Presidential Library… One of the best representatives of the world school of bel canto Lawrence Brownlee performed them. In the repertoire of the singer are the leading roles in the operas of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Handel, Mozart, Gershwin, etc. Russian baritone so much loved to sing these pieces too! Aria Nemorino from Donizetti’s opera “The Love Potion” performed by an American tenor (“One tear out of the corner of the eye”) Sounded especially heartbreaking.

The concert night in commemoration of Dmitry Hvorostovsky was aired live on the Presidential Library website.

The Presidential Library actively participates in the cultural life of the city. On October 6, official opening of the “Petersburg Embankments” VII International Music Festival took place in the Senate Square. The first festival concert “Music of the Sea,” dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Ivan Aivazovsky, struck the listeners with an unusual combination of music and projected over vast surface paintings by the great artist.