The opening ceremony of the XVIII International Musical Olympus Festival took place on May, 21 at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. On that evening about 1000 residents and guests of St Petersburg came to listen to masterpieces of world classical music performed by prize winners of the most prestigious international musical contests. The audience was impressed by the performance of young musicians from Greece, Italy, and Russia and gave them standing ovation.

Dimitris Botinis (conductor, Greece-Russia), Alexey Zhilin (cello, Russia), Andrey Baranov (violin, Russia), and Federico Colli (piano, Italy) took part at the concert. To the accompaniment of the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, the musicians performed pieces by Schuman, Brahms, Verdi, Boito, and Massenet. The evening closed with the overture by the Russian composer Andrey Petrov “Vivat, Olymous!” written specially for the Festival.

The Musical Olympus Festival will take place in St Petersburg until June, 2. Six more concerts of the main festival programme will take place at the the Hermitage Theater, the State Academic Chapel, and the Grand hall of the Shostakovich St Petersburg Academic Philharmonia. Also the charity concerts of classical music are planned within the Festival: at the “Kresty” investigative detention center on May 23, at the elderly care facility on May 27, and at the children hospice on May 29. Moreover, on May 24 the festival participants will give workshops at the St Petersburg conservatory.