Avatar composer performs for Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad
As part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad the VII International Festival of Organ Music is taking place in Perm between November 3rd and 9th. The real highlight of the program for the International Festival of Organ Music was a joint performance of the work "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace" by Karl Jenkins (of the UK), the composer of the Avatar film soundtrack, performed by several musical ensembles simultaneously. Also taking part in the festival are performers fr om nine different countries, including Germany, France, and the USA.
"The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace" brought together organ music with solo singers, an orchestra, a choir and soloists on various instruments. The work was performed, on the stage of the Perm Organ Hall, by the Tallin chamber orchestra, the state chamber choir of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Perm academic choir "Mlada" and the organist William Whitehead (of the UK). The Mass contains a mixture of Islamic motifs, Gregorian chant, American music, drumming, oriental music, a Brazilian instrument called the cuica, and melodies both ancient and modern.
The International Festival of Organ Music will last until November 9th and then, as tradition dictates, it will relocate to the cities of Prikamie, wh ere residents of Gubakh, Krasnokamsk and the village of Uralsky will be able to enjoy the organ music.
The Conductor of the Perm Region Philharmonic, Galina Kokoulina, commented:
"Each year the whole team behind the festival, which is one of the cultural brands of Prikamie and really puts us on the musical map, offers its audiences markedly new content, which has an innovative and experimental character. The festival's mission is to make the organ relevant, show that we have yet to exhaust this instrument's capabilities, and broaden the public's understanding of it. The Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad is presenting to the public the very best cultural events, throughout the whole of Russia, and we are delighted that the VII International Festival of Organ Music has become one of these key events."
The VII Organ Festival in Perm has become an experimental forum for the creative synthesis of various art forms - music, painting, cinema, poetry, choreography and video-installations. Alongside the organ music itself, guests of the festival were also able to enjoy some jazz evenings, concerts featuring ancient and modern music, and concerts for children. Also, as part of the festival, concerts took place for socially vulnerable groups within society, along with charitable events in the Perm regional hematology center.
Notes to the editor
The organ festival has been included in the program for the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad's Year of Music alongside such Perm Philharmonic forums as the All-Russian Festival, "Vladimir Spivakov invites you...", the Denis Matsuev International Festival and the choral festival "The Singing Fields of Prikamie".
The Perm Regional Philharmonic International Festival of Organ Music traditionally presents to the public organ music containing a combination of vocals, orchestras, choirs, and solo instruments, and for that reason it also features a rich and varied range of music.
In the six years of the festival's existence, musicians from Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, the USA and Canada have taken part in it. This year, for the first time, musicians from Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Switzerland have traveled over to perform in Perm.
The Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad
The Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad is a unique project run by the Games organizers, presenting the country's best cultural events. In 2014 visitors to the Olympic host city will be able to appreciate not only the sports events taking place, but also the cultural diversity of Russia, as presented at stage venues in Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana. For that reason, since 2010 the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, in conjunction with the country's regions, has been carefully selecting the best that Russian culture has to offer.
Between 2010 and 2014, thousands of cultural events of all kinds will take place throughout the entire country. Each year of the Cultural Olympiad is dedicated to a particular art form: 2010 was the Year of Cinema, 2011 the Year of Theater, 2012 is the Year of Music, and 2013 will be the Year of Museums.
The third year of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad is dedicated to music. Just as in previous years, the organizers of the first ever Winter Games in Russia's history will be presenting hundreds of top cultural events to the public. They will include concerts and festivals featuring the best Russian and foreign performers of classic and modern music, competitions, round tables and master-classes.
The Russia-wide scope of the project means that everyone in the country can get involved in this grand cultural celebration, helping to preserve and promulgate our country's rich culture. You can follow all the events of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad on the portal www.culture.sochi2014.com