Art experts from Belarus, Russia and Latvia will participate in the scientific readings to be held as part of the 29th installment of the Ivan Sollertinsky International Music Festival in Vitebsk, Director of the Research Department of the Belarusian State Academy of Music Nelly Matsaberidze, the organizer of the 19th scientific readings, told a press briefing on 7 December, BelTA has learned.

The central theme of the two-day readings that opened on 7 December is the personality of Ivan Sollertinsky and his artistic environment. "The new information about the people, events and cities connected with the life and art of Ivan Sollertinsky will be interesting and will be eye-opening of many because it will help us learn more about the personality of this unique man. Every year the scientific readings contribute to the popularization of the festival and the art of Ivan Sollertinsky," Nelly Matsaberidze noted.

An interesting report about the art of composer Peteris Vasks will be presented by Doctor of Musicology from the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music Julia Jonane. Not less interesting will be a report by Director of the Nevel History Museum (Russia) Lyudmila Maksimovskaya. She will talk about the literary and musical life in Leningrad in the 1930-70s that was reflected in the correspondence between Gleb Semenov and Tamarra Khmelnytskaya.

The 29th edition of the Ivan Sollertinsky International Music Festival is running in Vitebsk on 4-17 December. This year's playbill features prominent guests from Russia and Germany and never-aging classics, from Mozart and Bach to Shostakovich. The concert dedicated to the official opening of the festival was held on 7 December. The concert in the Vitebsk Regional Philharmonic Hall was performed by the State Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus under the baton of Alexander Anisimov.

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