Symphonic KINO | Musical Living Room

On December 18, the long-awaited premiere of a unique film dedicated to Viktor Tsoi will take place. The film combines extensive footage from a concert by Symphonic KINO, archival footage from the Tsoi family collection, scenes from the cult films Assa and The Needle, as well as interviews with several artists, including Yuri Kasparyan, the legendary guitarist of the band KINO. The musical film will be available on IVI as part of the Gazprombank Musical Living Room project.

The artistic foundation of the film is an extensive recording of a unique concert by Symphonic KINO, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. A large symphony orchestra conducted by Anton Shaburov, winner of First Prize at the Jeunesses Musicales International Conducting Competition in Bucharest, will perform beloved songs that have become iconic hits, including A Pack of Cigarettes, Electric Train, In Our Eyes, Cuckoo, Summer Is Ending, Blood Type, A Star Called the Sun and many others.

The project’s special guest will be Igor Butman, who actively participated in the recording of two KINO albums. The renowned saxophonist, together with the musicians of Symphonic KINO, will perform Tselotonnaya by Sergey Kuryokhin, a musician and composer who was a friend and collaborator of Viktor Tsoi and his band.

The film premiere will take place as part of the online Gazprombank Musical Living Room project — a series of online concerts featuring talented artists and internationally acclaimed performers, launched by Gazprombank in May 2020. The project offers audiences an opportunity to hear beloved works in unexpected arrangements and experience the feeling of being the only spectator in the concert hall. No registration is required to watch the concert recordings; broadcasts are available on any device via IVI, one of Russia’s largest online cinemas.

Symphonic KINO is an original project inspired by the music of Viktor Tsoi and created by Igor Vdovin and Yuri Kasparyan. Yuri Kasparyan, the project’s lead performer, has become a contemporary embodiment of the legendary band. His distinctive guitar style allows listeners to experience every line of the songs more intensely and discover new meanings and unexpected interpretations within them.

The unique visual sequence created by Alexander Tsoi, son of the legendary rock musician, adds new accents to familiar compositions and gives this beloved music an entirely new dimension. The fusion of rock, visual art and instrumental music once again confirms KINO’s status as a cult band that exists beyond time, space and genre boundaries. Over the years, Symphonic KINO has become a truly exceptional project with no equivalent on the Russian music scene.

Yuri Kasparyan about the project:

“Using the palette of the symphony orchestra and its rich range of colors has made it possible to reveal more fully the harmonic and melodic lines that were originally embedded in KINO’s music.”

The film was shot over several days at the RUT (MIIT) Palace of Culture. In the 1980s and 1990s, this venue was highly responsive to the changes taking place in the country and stood at the forefront of the emerging new culture. On June 8, 1986, the historic Movement Toward Spring festival was held here, featuring musicians from the Moscow Rock Laboratory and three legendary bands from the banks of the Neva, including KINO.

The RUT (MIIT) Palace of Culture is the only concert venue in Moscow that hosted members of KINO during the Soviet era. A huge platform was specially constructed for the filming, transforming the familiar configuration of the hall and offering a new perspective on the stage of this historic venue.

Viktor Tsoi’s brilliant songs, which shaped several generations, have lost none of their relevance. His music is equally close to the young people of the late 1980s and to contemporary listeners who may seem to belong to an entirely different cultural world.

The work of Viktor Tsoi, who tragically died thirty years ago, continues to live on and resonate with audiences everywhere. Tsoi became not only a symbol of his era, but also the voice and prophet of his generation. His songs have become classics, and few Russian artists can claim to have inspired so many interpretations across such a wide range of musical genres and styles.

People continue to talk about Tsoi, debate his legacy and make films about him. They continue to love his music and listen to his songs. The concert film Symphonic KINO is an attempt by musicians from different genres, from jazz to classical music, to pay tribute to the legendary and multifaceted personality of Viktor Tsoi.

Watch the premiere on December 18 and sing along to your favorite songs with Symphonic KINO!