New Musical Season Awaits Guests at Professors' Club

On September 23, the new season of Professors' Wednesdays concerts will open in the newly renovated Professors' Club at HSE. The first to perform before audiences will be Elena Revich (violin) and Sergei Kuznetsov (piano). However, this year's programme will not stop with music.

'We invite interesting musicians who perform at various venues across Moscow', says Marina Lebed, head of the HSE Music Projects Centre. 'Since we have a small room, where the audience literally sits at arm's length, we have a unique opportunity for close and lively communication. What's unique about the interaction between our audience and musicians in this project is that, first of all, our guests play music that is interesting both to them and to us. Second, there is always the opportunity to comment on something, to say something about music or about oneself. This is something that larger halls like the conservatory or the House of Music don't offer'.

The season will be opened by violinist Elena Revich, Honoured Artist of Russia, and pianist Sergey Kuznetsov, a laureate of international competitions. Winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition this year will also perform at HSE. For example, in November, there will be a concert by the cellist Alexander Ramm. In December, there are plans for a concert by Alexander Rudin - cellist, pianist, conductor and artistic director of the Musica Viva orchestra.

In addition, members of the HSE community themselves will play in the Professors' Club. 'We have a number of creative employees', says Lebed. 'Last year we had two such events – HSE Vice Rector and pianist Sergei Erofeev played a concert, and we had a poetry evening with Rostislav Kapeliushnikov, Deputy Director of the HSE Centre for Labour Market Studies. I think this could become a fresh area to focus on culture at HSE, and a very fruitful one at that'.

All HSE staff and students, as well as guests of the university, are welcome to take part in these events.