In January, the European Foundation for Support of Culture, with media support of the “Valletta 2018” Foundation and the Malta Tourism Authority, launched a project entitled “Malta – the new centre of tourism and classical music attraction”, which was held in the format of a presentation concert at European conservatories and to which all interested students were invited.
As part of the project in Minsk, a presentation concert was held on 14 February at the Belarusian State Academy of Music, Belarus. The students had a unique opportunity to get to know Malta, learn about the activities of the European Foundation for Support of Culture and its educational projects, as well as international piano, violin and wind competitions for young talents.
In December 2017, the Belarusian State Academy of Music celebrated its 85th anniversary. The history of the Belarusian State Academy of Music is inextricably linked to that of the entire musical culture of Belarus in the 20th century. It was at the Academy of Music that a national school of composers took shape, founded by Professor Vasily Zolotaryov, a student of Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. The first graduates of the composition class were Anatoly Bogatyrev, Pyotr Podkovyrov, Vasily Yefimov, Anatoly Popov and Mikhail Kroshner. Composers Nikolay Aladov, Vladimir Olovnikov, Evgeny Glebov, Igor Luchenok, Dmitry Smolsky, Andrei Mdivani, Galina Gorelova, Vyacheslav Kuznetsov, Viktor Voytik, Oleg Khodosko and others are also associated with the Academy.
The Belarussian performing school has gained wide recognition. The teachers of the Academy include famous Belarusian performers, such as conductors Mikhail Drinevsky, Nikolai Kolyadko, Boris Chudakov; Igor Olovnikov, People’s Performer of Belarus, winner of many piano competitions; Yuri Gildyuk, Merited Performer of Belarus, Artistic Director of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society; Mikhail Zhilyuk, Merited Performer of the Republic of Belarus, laureate of international competitions, soloist of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus, Merited Performer of Ukraine; bassoonist Vladimir Budkevich, professor at the Belarusian Academy of Music, Merited Performer of the Belarusian SSR, and others.
The presentation concluded with a performance by violinist Karen Shakhgaldyan, laureate of Pablo Sarasate International Violin Competition, and young pianist Ruben Kozin, laureate of the Eurasian Music Games, who together performed popular works by Maltese composers