Dear Friend,

Welcome to the International Rachmaninoff Russian Music Festival.

In June 2010, the Boston Russian Chorus held the first International Rachmaninoff Russian Music Festival (IRRMF) in Boston.  We invited "Blagovest", a men’s a cappella choir from Nizhnij Novgorod-Moscow, to come to the United States to perform with us.  “Blagovest” performs in the museum churches of Moscow's Kremlin and has won prizes at many choir competitions.  We had also invited fellow American, Russian-American and Russian singers from all over the United States to come join us in our performance as the Russian Festival Chorus.   The response was very favorable.  Our goal is to promote Russian culture and music in the United States as well as to enjoy the opportunity to sing complex and beautiful music with talented singers.

The IRRMF gave six concerts in greater Boston for "Blagovest", the Russian Festival Chorus, and three chamber groups.  Each performance was an integral part of this Festival, where musicians performed lesser-known and unique works.  The final concert featured the Festival Chorus on Sunday, 6/20/10, in Brookline performing selections from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers and Liturgy, and Russian folk favorites.

Russians first arrived in North America in the mid 1700s and Russian culture has become an integral part of American culture, as the United States is a country of immigrants.  Americans enjoy the Boston Pop’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture each Independence Day while watching the fireworks display the Charles River and the Nutcracker Ballet is a long standing Christmas-time tradition.

Some of you reading this have come to The Boston Russian Chorus concerts in the past and we are grateful for your loyal support.  Some of you are hearing about us for the first time, and we welcome you.  We look forward to seeing all of you at our future concerts.  There are many opportunities to support this Festival. Please tell your family, friends and acquaintances.  Please visit the “Support Us” page on our website.

Regards,

Irina Shachneva

Artistic Director, International Rachmaninoff Russian Music Festival