The Bolshoy Festival of Russian Music, supported by Gazprom Neft by the fifth consecutive year, has drawn to a close in Mecavnik, Serbia. For two days 62 talented young people from Serbia, Republika Srpska and Russia have engaged with one another, studied with famous masters and, naturally, fought for the festival prizes. Audiences have been able to enjoy performances by famous musicians — including violinists Roman Simović and Tatiana Samouil, mezzo-soprano Miliyany Nikolic, cellist Justus Grimm — on every night of the festival, their performances accompanied by the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Srbolyub Dinic.

Of those participants in the 18 to 25-year-olds’ programme, the best was a Serbian accordionist quintet from eastern Sarajevo — Accordeus, with the gold award (the Golden Matryoshka) presented by Valery Gergiev, conductor and Artistic Director at the Mariinsky Theatre. The Silver Matryoshka was won by flute player Anna Malkov (Novi Sad), with pianist Ivan Damyanov (Novi Sad) winning the bronze.

Results in the 13 to 17-year-olds’ category saw Svetlana Zvereva, from St Petersburg, winning the Gold Matryoshka, pianist Yana Yakovlevich, Belgrade, winning the silver, and soprano Violetta Sabayeva, Omsk, receiving the bronze.

A feature of the new programme, “Dialogue of Talents” saw young musicians Alena Rostovskaya (soprano, Russia), Alex Mirkovich (accordion player, Serbia), Mina Radivojevic (soprano, Russia) Elizaveta Antonova (vocalist, Russia), Alexandra Latinovic (violinist, Serbia) and Vladislav Khandogiy (piano, Belarus), performing for festival guests.

An open masterclass by Valery Gergiev proved a surprise for festival guests and participants.