Premiere of the Andreevsky Orchestra for the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory

On April 10, in the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic named after D. D. Shostakovich and on April 17, in the State Academic Capella of St. Petersburg, a nationally significant musical event will take place - the premiere of the oratorio «Winners!» by the outstanding Russian composer, Honored Artist of Russia Viktor Pleshak.

This is a large-scale work written for the State Academic Russian Orchestra named after V.V. Andreev, a reader, vocalists and a mixed choir, is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and personifies the strength, courage and unbending spirit of the victorious people.

At the conductor's stand is People's Artist of Russia Dmitry Khokhlov, whose mastery will unite the polyphony of history and memory into a single sound.

The Andreevsky Orchestra will share the stage with laureates of international competitions, soloists Svetlana Moskalenko (soprano, Mikhailovsky Theatre), Alexander Mikhailov (tenor, Mariinsky Theatre), Alexander Shakhov (baritone, Mikhailovsky Theatre); the concert choir of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture and the children's choir «Perezvony» (artistic director - professor Larisa Yarutskaya); actor of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, Honored Artist of Russia Semyon Sytnik.

Music that sounds in the heart of the people

Today, more than ever, it is important to maintain the continuity of generations, to convey to young people respect for the feat of their ancestors, and to develop an understanding of the power of national unity. The oratorio «Winners!» is a living link of times, a resounding monument to the heroes who gave their lives for a peaceful sky. She has absorbed the spirit of fortitude, family values, a deep connection with her native land, and selfless love for the Fatherland. The composition is based on poems by front-line poets and our contemporaries.

Composer Viktor Pleshak carefully weaves Russian musical traditions into the fabric of his work, combining folk and song motifs. The oratorio is intended to awaken a sense of pride for the country and to remind people of the value of unity and collective achievement.

The piece was performed by the State Academic Russian Orchestra named after V.V. Andreev, leading vocalists, a reader, mixed and children's choirs will unfold in a solemn sound that will resonate in everyone's heart. This premiere is not only a tribute to memory, but also a spiritual testament to future generations, the embodiment of the idea of Russia’s greatness and its unwavering faith in justice.

Victor Pleshak

Viktor Pleshak is an Honored Artist of Russia, laureate of the St. Petersburg Government Prize in the nomination «For Composing Mastery», member of the Union of Composers and the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia, member of the board of the Union of Composers of St. Petersburg.

Composer Viktor Pleshak is a native of St. Petersburg, graduated from the Choir College named after M.I. Glinka with honors, then the conducting-choral and composition departments of the Leningrad Conservatory.

Professional composing experience spans more than six decades. Freelance artist Victor Pleshak actively works in various musical genres. The composer’s creative legacy includes more than a thousand songs, including «The Crew is One Family,» «After All, You and I Are Leningraders,» «Favorite Team,» and «Unique Petersburg.» The author of more than one hundred and fifty works for various stage forms (operas, ballets, operettas, musicals, circus and variety shows), including «Incognito from Petersburg», «Dear Sinners», «The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights», «The Glass Menagerie». His music has been featured in fifteen films, including We Are from the Blockade and Comedy of Strict Regime. Author of compositions for the singing fountains of St. Petersburg. The founder of the composer dynasty «Pleshak and Sons».

Since 2010, he has been actively working in academic genres: he created an oratorio for mixed choir and large symphony orchestra «Unique Petersburg» (2011), an oratorio for choir and string orchestra «Creation of the World» (2016), a symphony for large symphony orchestra and six Chinese folk instruments «Dunhuang and the New Silk Road» (2018); in collaboration with the State Academic Russian Orchestra named after V.V. Andreev creates the musical and historical epic «Russian World», which includes the vocal and symphonic diptych «My Russia» (2013) - the ode «My Russia» and the cantata «Moscow. 1613»; the oratorio «Song of the Merchant Kalashnikov» (2014); the oratorio «When the Bells Ring» (2015), dedicated to the Russian army; the Great Song Symphony (2016), dedicated to his native land; the poetry «Passions for the Russian Revolution of 1917» (2017); the oratorio «Leningrad Women» (2018), dedicated to the women of the siege; the oratorio «Passions for the Soviet Union» (2019); the poetry «The Secret Word. Klyuev and Yesenin» (2020); poetry «Nikolai Nekrasov. Melody of the Heart» (2022) and the oratorio «Remember!» (2023) for the 80th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade.