The “Siberiada” International Festival, dedicated to the renowned composer Eduard Artemyev, has commenced at the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Hall. The festival, featuring three concerts, began with a video message from Nikita Mikhalkov, who expressed his congratulations and envy towards the audience.

The opening concert showcased a suite from the film “The Barber of Siberia,” performed by the Siberian Festival Orchestra under the baton of Mikhail Simonyan. The Novosibirsk Choir and Ekaterina Artemyeva also took part in the performance.

The concert on June 25 will feature new compositions presented by Eduard Artemyev’s son, Artemiy Artemyev, a composer and producer.

The festival’s final day, June 29, will feature well-known songs from Russian films performed by the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra and the Novosibirsk Choir, led by Cesar Alvarez, with soloists Ekaterina Artemyeva and Andrey Lefler.

The opening concert featured a diverse range of instruments, including a grand piano, electronic pianos, a synthesizer, a celeste, an extended percussion group, gusli, balalaikas, and bass guitars. The powerful sound of the orchestra and the deeply emotional music resulted in a delighted audience, prompting two encores.

The age restriction for the festival is 12+.