Gala Concert — 165th Anniversary of the Russian Musical Society

Special Guest — Vittorio Grigolo

On October 22, 2024, the Grand Hall of the P.I. Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory hosted the gala concert “Code of Time”, celebrating the 165th anniversary of the Russian Musical Society (RMS), one of Russia’s oldest public cultural organizations.

The State Kremlin Orchestra, conducted by Konstantin Chudovsky, performed celebrated works by renowned Russian composers who were associated with the Russian Musical Society, including Mikhail Glinka, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Anton Rubinstein, the distinguished composer and pianist who was one of the founders and the first director of the RMS.

The evening’s soloists included a new generation of talented performers — Maxim Lisin (baritone), Polina Sharovarova (mezzo-soprano), Polina Peletskaya (soprano), Maria Kalinina (soprano), and David Sanikidze (tenor) — as well as international opera star Vittorio Grigolo (tenor).

Violin solo was performed by international competition laureate Daniil Kogan. The concert also featured artists of the vocal ensemble Intrada.

The event was held with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

165 Years of the Russian Musical Society

Founded in 1859, the Russian Musical Society is celebrating its anniversary this year. Through the RMS’s activities, the first conservatories in the Russian Empire were established before 1917, along with music schools and libraries, while extensive publishing initiatives helped make musical education and culture more accessible.

Many young composers and musicians found support through the Russian Musical Society, allowing them to develop their talents and, in turn, influence the course of musical history.

In 2021, an initiative group led by Vladislav Shestakov revived the activities of the Russian Musical Society.

The anniversary gala concert was presented as part of the large-scale cultural and educational project “165 Years of the RMS. Code of Time.”

The project’s central idea is to organize a series of events dedicated to promoting awareness of the Russian Musical Society’s historical role in preserving and supporting the traditions established in 1859.