Greek-music marathon

The season's last concert in the Moscow Conservatory's Big Hall takes place June 28 at 7 p.m. and will be the first musical event of the Culture Olympiad that will be running over the next two years. In preparation for the Athens Olympics in 2004, the world's capitals will be hosting concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events.
In Moscow, the Culture Olympiad's musical section will be opened by renowned Greek conductor Theodore Kourentzis, who will present a program featuring the most famous composers of the 20th century, including Iannis Xenakis, Jannis Hristu, Alfred Schnitke, Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel.
Kourentzis was a student of Ilya Musin, who considered him his most talented pupil. Along with the Russian National Orchestra, he will present an elaborately compiled program of musical pieces that once changed traditional perceptions. It looks like the program will definitely correspond with the original Olympic idea of progressing from old to new for the sake of perfection.

Jazzman cometh

Legendary American jazzman Al Jarreau will be performing at the Kremlin Palace on July 2 at 7 p.m. Jarreau and a number of other jazz stars were to have performed in Russia last November, but the concerts were cancelled because of the Sept. 11 tragedy.
Jarreau is a holder of numerous international prizes, including five Grammy Awards, and has recorded a total of 25 excellent albums. His irresistible voice and excellent technique are unique and always recognizable.
Jarreau began singing at the age of four. In 1975, his debut album, "We Got By," was highly successful critically and commercially. In March 2001, Jarreau acquired a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, eternalizing him as one of the best singers of his generation.

New Boris Godunov

A new production of the famous Modest Mussorgsky opera "Boris Godunov" featuring the best artists from the Bolshoi Theater is the first event in the Dyagilev Age program - a joint program of the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Russian Theater Agency. The performance is set to take place outdoors, around the famous Svyatogorsky Monastery (Pskov Oblast), and the monastery's walls and buildings will serve as stage decor. The event will take place on July 3 at 9 p.m. with financial support from Alfa Bank.
Svyatogorsky Monastery is not only a picturesque location; it's also where Alexander Pushkin wrote the lyrics to "Boris Godunov," where Mussorgsky was born and where the drama's plot unfolds. The performance will involve special lighting - creating the effect that the monastery is hovering over the stage - and ringing from the monastery's bells.