Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival in Minsk

Yuri Bashmet and the chamber band Moscow Soloists

Yuri Bashmet Music Festival is one of the world’s largest cultural forums which brings together the best contemporary musicians.

About the festival

Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival has been held in Belarus every year since 2006.

The festival promotes classic art, and is designed to support young talents and innovations in culture. One of the key ideas of the festival is to provide young talents with an opportunity to perform on one stage together with internationally renowned artists. This will help young musicians hone their performing skills, contribute to their career advancement and strengthen international cultural cooperation.

The Yuri Bashmet International Festival in Belarus has featured many great artists of our time, including Viktor Tretyakov, Natalia Gutman, Maxim Vengerov, Vadim Repin, Barry Douglas, soloists of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters and famous orchestras such as the Soloists of Moscow, Camerata RCO, the Berlin Philharmonic String Sextet, the Novaya Rossiya State Symphony Orchestra.

The festival concerts are always a great success and are held in best Belarusian concert halls: the Palace of the Republic, the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, the Belarusian State Philharmonic, the Upper Town concert hall (Minsk), the Summer Amphitheater of Vitebsk and many other concert halls across the country.

Rostislav Krimer, an outstanding Belarusian pianist, prize-holder of international contests, is the founder and art director of the festival. Legendary viola player and conductor Yuri Bashmet is an honorary co-chairman of the organizing committee of the festival.

CIS Youth Music Academy

The CIS Youth Music Academy, unparalleled in the Commonwealth of Independent States, is annually held as part of Yuri Bashmet International Music Festival.

The Academy offers master classes from prominent teachers of music, one-to-one lessons, meetings with world famous artists and pedagogues as well as joint performance of maestros and beginners.

The event is held under the auspices of the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund and the Culture Ministry of Belarus.

The first music academy welcomed 21 young performers from eight CIS states in 2009. Over 30 gifted musicians attended the academy in 2010.

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