(Kazan KZN.RU, February 16). Grand gala concerts will bring to a close the 33rd F. I. Chaliapin International Opera Festival this week. The festival became one of the most ambitious in its history: the program included 11 operas starring guest singers and conductors from 10 countries. Today, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin with his family attended a final concert at the M. Jalil Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.
The opera forum, which this year marked the 140th anniversary of Kazan Opera, retains its concept of a "festival of voices" -- the main roles in all the operas were sung by guest soloists from Russia, Europe and the United States. World-famous basses, baritones, tenors, sopranos and mezzos – the cream of the singing crop – played the final chord in the music program of the festival today.
Kazan's sophisticated audience had the opportunity to hear the voices of the world's most famous soloists in one evening – Alexei Tikhomirov, Vasily LaDuke, Oksana Shilova, Ronald Samm, Agunda Kulaeva, Sergei Skorokhodov, Ahmed Agadi, Georgi Oniani and Deniz Yetim. The famous pianist Daniel Kramer also took part in the concert.