Category: Events

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Melody – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The 3rd International Symposium of the Classical Music Recording Industry will be held in Moscow from November 19–21, 2025. The event is organized by the Russian Musical Union and supported by the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.

More than 20 Russian companies, studios, and educational institutions associated with the recording industry became partners of the symposium.

One of the key partners of the event was the Melodiya company, the oldest representative of the sound industry in our country.

Among the symposium's key topics is the restoration of archival sound recordings. Without restoration, we risk forever losing unique interpretations, forgotten repertoires, and the pristine sound of works born in the fire of inspiration. Restoring archival recordings of classical music is not just a technical task, but a sacred duty to time, culture, and humanity. In every rustle of old tape, in every crackle of a vinyl record, lies the breath of the past, the voices of great men whose hands touched the keys, whose baton brought scores to life, whose thoughts and feelings are forever imprinted in the vibrations of sound.

Melodiya, originally established as a state-owned company for the production, storage, and distribution of sound recordings, continues to be the custodian of our country's musical history. The company's archive contains over 230,000 recordings.

At the symposium, Melodiya will be represented by Maxim Pilipov, Deputy Director of the Hardware and Studio Complex and sound engineer and restorer, who will participate in a public talk entitled "Restoration: A Technical or Creative Process?"

The public talk will take place on November 19 at the Cyberdom space, located at 12 2-ya Zvenigorodskaya St., Bldg. 18, Moscow. Representatives of the Moscow Conservatory will also participate in the discussion: Evgeny Platonov, producer and deputy head of the Multifunctional Educational and Production Center for Sound Recording and Sound Engineering at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, and Elena Doynikova, restorer at the Multifunctional Educational and Production Center for Sound Recording and Sound Engineering at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory.

A detailed program of symposium events is available on the project's official website: https://symposiom-sound-pure.com/.

Participation is free. Entry is by registering on the website.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Melody – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The fifth episode of the "Sound Review" project, released by Melodiya, opens a new chapter in the anthology of Russian music from the 20th and 21st centuries. For the first time in the series' history, the recording features a symphony orchestra—the Academy of Russian Music Symphony Capella, conducted by Ivan Nikiforchin.

Karina Abramyan, General DirectorUnion of Composers of Russia:

"The Sound Review, created by the Union of Composers of Russia in 2020, brings together works from various eras and movements—from the Russian avant-garde of the 1910s and 1920s to contemporary classical music. This is the fifth edition of the series—a mini-anniversary—and features the first appearance of a symphony orchestra."

Part OneThe new symphonic release is dedicated to composers Moisei Weinberg, Nikolai Peiko, and Boris Tchaikovsky—three friends and colleagues whose destinies were closely intertwined not only in their creative work but also in the trials of time. In 1953, Weinberg was arrested, and it was Peiko and Tchaikovsky who stood by his side, supporting his family and seeking their colleague's release. This episode became a point of unity and human resilience for them—an inner strength that is also evident in their music.

The album features Weinberg's Suite for Symphony Orchestra (1939–1945), Boris Tchaikovsky's Sinfonietta for String Orchestra (1953), "Elegiac Poem in Memory of Nikolai Myaskovsky" (1980), and the world premiere recording of Nikolai Peiko's vocal cycle for tenor and string orchestra based on Vladimir Nabokov's poetry, "The Light of the Cornflower Wreath" (1987). In addition to the Academy of Russian Music under the baton of Ivan Nikiforchin, the album also features Stanislav Mostovoy, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater and the Moscow Novaya Opera.

Part twoThe release is "Architecture of Sound" by Yuri Abdokov, a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, a PhD in art history, and a scholar of 20th-century Russian music. The album features four poems for string orchestra: "Autumn Prayers," "Birds in the Rain," "On the Edge of Melting and Ice," and "Beautiful Are the Faces of the Sleeping" (in the latter, the violin part is performed by Ayako Tanabe, winner of international competitions and soloist of the Île Thélème ensemble). Abdokov's music continues the tradition of Boris Tchaikovsky and Nikolai Peiko—a line where intellectual rigor is combined with clarity of form and spiritual warmth.

Ivan Nikiforchin, artistic director and chief conductor of the Academy of Russian Music:

"The music of Weinberg, Peiko, and Boris Tchaikovsky is part of our cultural memory, and Yuri Abdokov's orchestral poems are a direct continuation of this tradition, a living bridge to the present day. His scores are filled with the light and inner strength so desperately needed by contemporary culture."

The recording of the "Sound Review-5" albums took place at the Tonstudio production complex of the Mosfilm film concern. Sound engineer: Mikhail Spassky. The project was implemented with the support of the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Melodiya recording company. The albums are accompanied by digital booklets and are available on leading music platforms: Yandex.Music, Zvuk, VK Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Musical Life, November 11, 2025

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Melody – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

…

"Picnic Quintet." "Picnic Suite" for guitar, flute, and jazz trio.

Juggling styles these days is either tiring or confusing—and not just in music (how long have you been yearning to visit a fusion restaurant?). And yet, against this backdrop, the Moscow Picnic Quintet suddenly records Claude Bolling's Picnic Suite and reminds us why we even need such experiments. French elegance and baroque discipline, jazz freedom and academic precision truly merge here in friendly harmony and informality, just as a good picnic should.

Bolling, the patriarch of French jazz, is better known to the general public as a film composer, having composed music for over a hundred films during his long career—including such memorable European hits as Borsalino, The Magnificent, and Passengers. He composed this suite in 1980 as a dialogue between guitar and flute and a jazz trio. In the Picnic Quintet version, everything sounds cleaner and warmer, like a restored watercolor: Dmitry Andreyev's guitar is dry and transparent, Yuliana Padalko's flute is bright and slightly dreamy, Olga Zaikina's piano holds its shape, and the rhythm section provides a gentle pulse, preventing the music from becoming stagnant.

Makhfirat Khamrakulova. "Chants of Love" ("Sozi Ishq")

Melodiya continues to unearth amazing Soviet-era artifacts from its archives. Now comes the turn of the Soviet Tajikistan's leading star, Makhfirat Hamrakulova (who, incidentally, celebrated her 70th birthday this year). In the 1980s, she was both a symbolic "liberated woman of the East" and a source of pride for her compatriots—and now they, too, have their own, distinctive yet contemporary pop singer. Hamrakulova began as a soloist with the Gulshan ensemble, the republic's premier pop group, where she received a solid foundation. Today, her solo recordings, where European orchestrations accompany Central Asian melodies and modern synthesizers accompany folk instruments, sound surprisingly fresh and professional.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the outbreak of civil war in Tajikistan, Khamrakulova left her native Dushanbe, moving first to Moscow and then emigrating overseas. However, she did not abandon her singing career and continues to perform—both in New York, to a sizable diaspora, and in her homeland, where her concerts are said to be invariably sold-out. A collection of her best recordings from the early 1980s clearly explains the reasons for her unwavering public love—even without understanding the lyrics, it's hard not to be captivated by these languid ballads and relaxed pop thrillers with the flavor of an oriental bazaar.

Vladislav Krylov, Izvestia, November 1, 2025

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.