29 September 2005

A Concert Dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of Perestroika

     On September 28, 2005, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire hosted a one and only performance in Moscow of the internationally renowned pianist Andrey Gavrilov. Gavrilov devoted his concert to the 20th anniversary of Perestroika.
      In an interview he gave to the Interfax new agency the day before the concert, the performer said, “This will not be the first concert I gave to celebrate this date. I have already performed in Lucerne, Switzerland, and Turin, Italy, and following my concert in Moscow I am planning for October a performance in Washington, DC, to attend which all of the United States’ living presidents have been invited.”
      In his greeting to the remarkable performer and the audience of his admirers before the concert, Mikhail Gorbachev said that he was very pleased to see that not only politicians and scholars, but also artists have contributed to a string of events celebrating the 20th anniversary of Perestroika.
      Gavrilov played Frédéric Chopin. In his own words, he has played out Chopin’s entire life – for the first time in a single performance on stage all Nocturnes by the great composer written over the span of his musical career – from 17 to 39 years – have been performed.
The choice of pieces played by the performer was not accidental: “Nocturnes by Chopin are a life of a romantic person and I am devoting this music to the most romantic politician of the present day,” the pianist said before the concert started.
      The concert was organized with support from the Gorbachev Foundation. The proceeds from the concert will be used to help children suffering from leukemia. We would like to thank everyone who has supported this event. Assistance to efforts in the area of treating childhood leukemia in Russia has been for years a priority charity project for the Gorbachev Foundation. The Foundation has been actively involved in activities of the Hematologists of the World for Children international association, set up under the Foundation’s patronage to promote research into and treatment of childhood leukemia and cancer in Russia. As its sponsor the Foundation collects and allocates funds and resources coming from the Foundation’s partners and from individuals both in the form of special-purpose monetary donations and medical equipment and medicines.