Orbelian & Hvorostovsky On Tour

Delos News

July 12, 2006
For immediate release

Russian Coal Miners Win Operatic Victory

A few months ago the coal mining communities of the vast Russian Kuzbass Region (southwestern Siberia) wrote thousands of letters to Aman Tuleev, the Governor of their Region. The political clout of this important industrial region cannot be overlooked; and the thousands of letters demonstrated a unity of purpose. Then and there, Governor Tuleev put a plan into action to satisfy his citizens.

So what were the thousands of coal miners calling for? They wanted Dmitri Hvorostovsky — Russian Idol, baritone heart-throb, celebrated around the world as one of the greatest opera singers of our day — to come and sing for them.

It all started in Kemerovo, the capital of the Kuzbass Region, with a concert by Dmitri, Siberia’s favorite native son, and his frequent collaborator, American conductor Constantine Orbelian. Constantine, born and raised in San Francisco, California, is the first foreigner in history to become Music Director of a Russian orchestra — the famed Moscow Chamber Orchestra and its offspring, the Philharmonia of Russia.

The Hvorostovsky-Orbelian Kemerovo concert on August 26, 2005, televised and highly publicized throughout Kuzbass, was a huge success. The concert was held in the public square in the center of town, for an audience of 50,000. The weather was warm but cloudy, and as Constantine and Dmitri walked onto the stage, it started to rain. But Governor Tuleev was prepared! Slickers, colorful umbrellas, and hot tea and coffee were made available to everyone in the undaunted, cheering audience.

There were Russian opera favorites such as the rousing Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, stirring arias from Prince Igor and Khovanschina, and the toe-tapping dance from The Snow Maiden. Their Opera Idol was a dashing Escamillo in the Toreador’s scene from Carmen. There were favorite traditional Russian “Romances.” And there were the sentimental Songs of the War Years that Dmitri and Constantine have brought back to the concert stage. Songs that have deep meaning for every Russian family, whether that family is still in Russia or relocated elsewhere in the world.

After the last encore for a cheering, emotional audience that didn’t want the concert to end, Governor Tuleev came up onto the stage and presented medals to both artists: medals made of gold, platinum, diamonds and sapphires. After the concert the Governor also sent medals to the parents of both artists.

But it didn’t stop there. As news of the spectacular Kemerovo concert got around, the citizens of outlying Kuzbass communities wrote to their Governor, asking why they didn’t rate such an event. Were they less important than the residents of Kemerovo? As the letters continued to pour in, Governor Tuleev took action. He engaged Hvorostovsky and Orbelian for a five-city tour of major Kuzbass communities, to take place in August of 2006.

The upcoming concerts — with Hvorostovsky, Orbelian, the Russian traditional instrument ensemble Style of Five, orchestra and chorus — will be predominantly open-air events. They will be free to the public in each community. Letter-writing activism has won a stunning victory!

The hundreds of thousands who will attend the five upcoming concerts will be treated to an exciting and emotion-packed program, with many of the same favorites that brought last year’s Kemerovo audience to its feet. Just what the coal miners wanted.

KUZBASS TOUR 2006: ITINERARY AND PROGRAM

Itinerary for the 2006 Kuzbass Tour:

Novokuznetsk (Sports Palace) — July 30

Prokopievsk (open air) — August 1

Kiselevsk (open air) — August 3

Kemerovo (open air) — August 5

Leninsk-Kuznetsk (open air) — August 7

Program for the 2006 Kuzbass Tour:

Glinka: Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla

Mussorgsky: Schaklovityj aria from the opera
Khovanschina (Hvorostovsky)

Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Skomorokhs from
Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden)

Borodin: Prince Igor's aria from the opera Prince
Igor (Hvorostovsky)

Bizet: Prelude to the Opera Carmen

Bizet: Escamillo's aria from Carmen ( Hvorostovsky, choir and
orchestra)

Shalov: Valenki (Style of 5, Orchestra)

Gurilev: Odnozvuchno gremit kolokolchik (The lonely
bell rings) (Hvorostovsky)

Bulakhov:Troika mtchitsa (Hvorostovsky)

Alexandrov: Svyaschennaiya Voina (The Sacred War)
Choir and Orchestra

Molchanov: Zhdi menja (Wait for me) (Hvorostovsky)

Bogoslovsky: Temnaja noch (Dark is the night) (Hvorostovsky)

Katusha (Hvorostovsky, Choir and orchestra)

Khachaturian: Valse from Masquerade

Pakhmutova: Melodia (Hvorostovsky)

Pakhmutova: Kak molody my byli..*(How young we were) (Hvorostovsky)

Danzi: Funniculi Funnilula Choir and orchestra

Fusco Falco: Dicitencello (Hvorostovsky)

[Insider information: Hvorostovsky encores: O sole mio Otchye chornie (Dark Eyes)]