FULL Tchaikovsky A Novel in Letters Kislovodsk 2025 Evgeny Knyazev, Svetlana Berezhnaya

The North Caucasian Philharmonic named after V.I. Safonov is hosting the festival “What Actors Sing About”, which each time surprises listeners with bright and interesting projects featuring famous artists. This year, the opening of the festival is dedicated to a significant date – the 185th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. People’s Artist of Russia Evgeny Knyazev (artistic word) and Honored Artist of Russia Svetlana Berezhnaya (harpsichord, organ, piano) will present a literary and musical evening “Tchaikovsky. A Novel in Letters”, which will take place on the genius’s birthday – May 7 at 19.00 on the stage of the A. Scriabin Concert Hall. It will be dedicated to the long-term correspondence between Pyotr Ilyich and the mysterious figure of Russian art – Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck. Their relationship is an amazing example of warm sympathy and selfless help of two people who, at first glance, are completely distant from each other. The rich widow and patroness admired the musician’s gift and was his patroness for many years, providing financial support so that the composer could fully devote himself to creativity. They were connected by more than 13 years of epistolary communication, 1220 letters and not a single real date, with the exception of a couple of random fleeting meetings. Selected lines from the letters, which became the only witnesses of the feelings and spiritual closeness of two extraordinary personalities, will sound accompanied by the great music of Pyotr Ilyich, performed on three instruments – harpsichord, piano and organ.