Overtures. Wagner. Beethoven. Mozart

On July 11, the Russian Philharmonia Symphony Orchestra presented a special program at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory dedicated to the great overtures of the classical repertoire. The audience heard famous instrumental introductions to renowned operas and operettas that have become true classics and are often performed as independent concert pieces. The program included Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Verdi’s La forza del destino, Bizet’s Carmen, Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Bellini’s Norma, Strauss’s Die Fledermaus and other compositions. The audience also heard Ludwig van Beethoven’s outstanding Coriolan Overture, filled with a powerful heroic spirit and already popular during the composer’s lifetime. The concert was conducted by one of Russia’s most sought-after young conductors, Denis Vlasenko.

Denis Vlasenko is one of the brightest young Russian conductors. After graduating from the A. V. Sveshnikov Choral College and the V. S. Popov Academy of Choral Art, he studied opera and symphonic conducting at the Moscow and St. Petersburg Conservatories. In 2010, he won a conducting competition with the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Yuri Bashmet. He has collaborated with numerous Russian and international ensembles and performed alongside leading stars of the classical music scene. Since January 2022, Maestro Vlasenko has served as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the State Academic Alisher Navoi Bolshoi Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Moscow Symphony Orchestra “Russian Philharmonia” is the first and only large symphony orchestra in Moscow in the centuries-long history of the capital. It is one of Russia’s finest and most sought-after orchestras, performing with great success at major concert venues both in Russia and abroad. The orchestra has an extensive concert schedule, giving more than 100 performances each season at venues including the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, the State Kremlin Palace, Crocus City Hall, the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International House of Music and others. The orchestra is actively involved in educational projects, promotes Russian musical culture and develops large-scale innovative programs. Its repertoire encompasses Russian and international classics, works by contemporary composers and music of various genres. Since September 2018, the orchestra’s Chief Conductor has been the renowned Italian conductor Fabio Mastrangelo.