SUNDAY
JANUARY 19, AT 7PM
Hermitage, Atrium of the General Staff Building
Visa-Free Travel:
Music of the New World
Hermitage, Atrium of the General Staff Building
Join us for an unforgettable evening—a musical journey across continents and eras, celebrating the classical and jazz traditions of the "New World" in honor of the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin's legendary "Rhapsody in Blue". This program highlights the rich cultural heritage of America and Europe, featuring the highly anticipated European premiere of Wm Joseph Heart's "A Gershwin Herald", a musical tribute to Gershwin's iconic masterpiece.
Concert duration:
Two parts of 45 minutes with a 20-minute intermission
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Concert Program
George Gershwin - "An American in Paris"
symphonic poem
Inspired by Gershwin's trip to Paris, this symphonic poem captures the sounds and rhythms of the city through a unique blend of classical orchestration and jazz motifs. "An American in Paris" transports listeners into the role of a tourist strolling through Parisian streets, hearing everything—from lively conversations to the sound of car horns.
Performed by:
Conductor
Daiana HOFFMANN
Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Region
George Gershwin - "Rhapsody in Blue"
for piano and orchestra
This famous *Rhapsody*, celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, stands as one of Gershwin’s most iconic works, merging jazz and classical music into a cultural landmark. In this piece, Gershwin creates a musical journey that captures the spirit of freedom, energy, and passion of early 20th-century New York, featuring a vibrant blues theme, free-flowing rhythm, and expressive piano artistry.
Performed by:
Pianist
Mikhail BENEDIKTOV
Conductor
Daiana HOFFMANN
Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Region
Joseph Hart - "A Gershwin Herald"
for piano and orchestra (European premiere)
This tonal poem is a musical dialogue with Gershwin. Inspired by the soaring skyscrapers and energy of *Rhapsody in Blue*, composer Joseph Hart crafted a work that captures stylistic elements and themes from Gershwin's life. *A Gershwin Herald* paints the sounds of bustling New York, evoking the clicks of teletypes, departing trains, and noisy streets, allowing the audience to once again experience the power of the jazz age.
Performed by:
Pianist
Mikhail BENEDIKTOV
Conductor
Daiana HOFFMANN
Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Region
Antonín Dvořák - "From the New World"
Symphony No. 9, Finale
While in America, Dvořák was inspired by the culture of the "New World," creating one of his most memorable symphonies. *Symphony No. 9*, also known as "From the New World," blends melodies influenced by African American spirituals and Native American motifs with European traditions. The symphony’s finale is a triumphant and vivid culmination, filled with dynamic energy and melodic strength, capturing the composer’s impressions of America.
Performed by:
Conductor
Daiana HOFFMANN
Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Region
Artists
Daiana Hoffmann
Conductor
Daiana Hoffmann was born in St. Petersburg. She graduated with honors from the Music College at the St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory (class of Distinguished Artist of Russia, Prof. B. Abalyan). From 2011 to 2013, she studied choral conducting at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Prof. B. Tevlin. In 2015, she earned a bachelor’s degree in symphonic conducting (class of Prof. Bojan Suđić) from the Academy of Music in Belgrade, Serbia, having won a state scholarship in 2013. She is currently continuing her studies in opera and symphonic conducting at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Assoc. Prof. Stanislav Dyachenko.
Daiana has participated in master classes with renowned musicians, including Vladimir Ponkin, Dmitry Bashkirov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Jurowski, Ronald Zollman, Josef Doller, and Slawek Wrublewski. She has conducted the Belgrade Radio and Television Orchestra, the Belgrade Academy Student Symphony, the Moscow Conservatory Concert Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory Opera Theater, and the Moscow Conservatory Student Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her conducting career, she is an active performer as both a pianist and singer, and she is a winner of the international piano competition in Niš, Serbia.
Daiana Hoffmann is the founder, artistic director, and conductor of the Moscow Youth Chamber Orchestra, with which she performs at premier venues in Moscow, including the Great Hall and Rachmaninoff Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
Conductor
Daiana Hoffmann
Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Region
The Leningrad Region State Symphony Orchestra was established in July 2017 by order of Governor A.Yu. Drozdenko. Its permanent artistic director and chief conductor is People’s Artist of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Mikhail Golikov.
The orchestra comprises virtuoso musicians, winners of national and international competitions, and stands as the youngest professional ensemble in Russia. With a vast repertoire appealing to a wide audience, the orchestra performs all styles and genres of symphonic music—from symphonies, instrumental concertos, and opera and ballet music to popular film scores, symphonic jazz, and crossover. The ensemble collaborates actively with contemporary composers such as Sergei Banevich, Anatoly Kalvarsky, Murat Kabardokov, and Leonid Rezetdinov.
The Leningrad Region Symphony Orchestra is a vibrant part of St. Petersburg’s cultural life, participating in numerous prestigious Russian and international festivals and performing across Russia. The orchestra also organizes its own cultural events, promoting the Leningrad region’s tourism appeal, including the large-scale “Smoke on the Water: From Classics to Rock” festival and the regional Opera and Choir Festival.
The orchestra has performed with renowned soloists such as Francis Goya, Sergei Nakaryakov, Dmitry Gaivoronsky, Vyacheslav Butusov, Polina Osetinskaya, Evgeny Izotov, and opera singers Sergei Leiferkus, Elizabeth Vidal, Olesya Petrova, Vasily Gerello, Vladimir Samsonov, Olga Pudova, Grigory Chernetsov, and others.
Today, the Leningrad Region Symphony Orchestra is a distinguished cultural emblem of the 47th region, performing at official events on regional, federal, and international levels.
Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Region
Mikhail Benediktov
Pianist
Mikhail Benediktov was born in Leningrad in 1971. He graduated with honors from the Mussorgsky College of Music in 1989 and went on to study at Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Music. In 1992, he returned to the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, where he studied under Prof. E.V. Bazanov, later completing his postgraduate studies with Bazanov in 1999.
From 2002 to 2008, Benediktov was a guest soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre. He has performed solo and ensemble concerts across Russia in cities such as Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, and Novosibirsk, as well as internationally in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, and South Korea.
Benediktov has collaborated with prominent conductors, including V. Gergiev, D. Kitaenko, T. Adès, and M. Agrest, and has performed at prestigious venues such as the Mariinsky Theatre, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow International House of Music, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, London’s Barbican Centre and Royal Albert Hall, and Berlin Philharmonie.
He regularly gives masterclasses throughout Russia, Estonia, and South Korea and serves as a jury member for international competitions. From 1999 to 2020, he taught piano at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory and from 1997 to 2021 at the Mussorgsky College of Music. Currently, he teaches piano at the Special Music School of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. For his contributions to music education, Benediktov has twice received the St. Petersburg Government Award.
Pianist
Mikhail Benediktov