Amonth of modern classical and church music performed by world-famous musicians is sure to warm the hearts of Muscovites as winter descends on the capital.

The 21st installment of the annual December Evenings festival will take place at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts from Nov. 27 until late December.

This year's festival is subtitled "Toward Proust, Monet and Debussy" – and French music will be given a priority at the festival.

Performers will include such masters as violinist Yury Bashmet. After the death of the festival's founder, Russian pianist Svyateslav Richter, Bashmet took over as artistic director. Soloists from the Moscow chamber orchestra, the Borodin Quartet and up-and-coming musicians such as pianist Nikolai Lugansky, violinist Alexander Brusilovsky and others will be performing. Also, there is a long list of foreign musicians who have confirmed their participation, including French singer Joane Labelle. Finally, Yevgeny Kisin, the piano prodigy, has promised to play, despite his tight schedule.

The festival will be accompanied, as usual, by an exhibition of fine arts. According to the organizers, the festival's mission is to achieve a harmonious combination of music and other fine arts.

What: December Evenings.
When: Nov. 27-late December.
Where: Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
12 Volkhonka Ul.
Metro: Kropotkinskaya.
Tel: 203-7998.