One of the Forum’s most eventful days began with the opening of the Russian National Museum of Music exhibition We Brought This Day Closer..., inaugurated by Mikhail Bryzgalov, Director General of the Museum of Music, and Olga Khomova, Director General of the Capella. The display is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It explores the role of music during the war years, the selfless work of Soviet musicians, the diverse and vibrant musical life of the period, and both well known and little known names and melodies created during and after the war.
The first session addressed a vital and urgent theme that affects all cultural institutions in the country: Young Professionals as an Investment in the Musical Future of the Nation. Young specialists are needed in every field, and in music the cost of high quality training is especially high. It is therefore essential to speak about it loudly and clearly. A number of musical professions are disappearing, and soon they may be impossible to replenish. Leading figures in culture and education discussed today’s pain points, in particular vanishing specialties and staffing shortages in orchestras. Roundtables of this kind help identify key avenues for cooperation between music universities and concert organizations and outline prospects for developing systems to identify gifted children and the role that concert institutions can play.
The second event of the business program was the plenary session The Age of Music in Culture. A Look to the Future. The session was opened by Olga Khomova, curator of the Music Culture track. Quoting the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, she noted that “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination,” and it is hard to disagree. Yet music is undergoing significant change, with new trends and movements emerging, many of which touch classical music as well. Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Presidential Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, stressed that the future of music is inseparable from the formation of a new audience.
Without an influx of young listeners it is impossible to preserve and develop traditions, since they are the heirs to cultural experience. If we care about the future of art, we must nurture interest among the younger generation by introducing them to the riches of musical heritage and teaching them to hear and understand live sound. “The future of music is a new audience. Without it nothing is possible,” Mikhail Shvydkoy concluded.
The Capella’s Chamber Hall hosted focused expert discussions that drew many key figures from education and culture. Topics included Children’s Arts Schools in the Context of the State Cultural Strategy and Music Education in the Education System of the Russian Federation: Development Models for the Current Stage from Admission to Employment.
The business program of the first day concluded with the roundtable Music Culture as a Brand in the Experience Economy. A central challenge for all institutions remains attracting new audiences while retaining loyal ones. The viewer’s most valuable resource is time, and it is crucial that they choose your event. Colleagues shared extensive experience with major festivals that help win new audiences and spoke about integrating artificial intelligence into their professional practice.
On the second day of the Forum a number of cooperation agreements were signed:
- Agreement between the Belgorod State Philharmonic and the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music
- Agreement between the Peterhof State Museum Reserve and the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music
- Agreement between the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in the Italian Republic Rome and the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music
- Agreement between the St Petersburg State Academic Capella and the Alupka Palace and Park Museum Reserve Republic of Crimea
- Agreement between the St Petersburg State Academic Capella and the Russian National Museum of Music