Shostakovich instead Chaos
Dedicated to 120th anniversary since Dmitry Shostakovich's birth
Festival "SHOSTAKOVICH INSTEAD CHAOS"
September 22–27, 2026
This year the entire music community is celebrating an important date: the 120th anniversary since the birth of the outstanding XXth-century composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
In honor of this event "Helikon-Opera" Theatre is holding "Shostakovich Instead Chaos" Festival from September 22–27.
The program will include the composer's iconic works, and renowned orchestras and performers will participate, including the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestraled by Maestro Arseny Tkachenko; The Moscow Soloists Chamber Ensemble under People's Artist of Russia Yuri Bashmet; the Yurlov State Academic Choir of Russia under People's Artist of Russia Gennady Dmitryak; the Moscow Puppet Theater; People's Artist of Russia Vladimir Ponkin; People's Artist of Russia Felix Korobov; People's Artist of Russia Natalya Zagorinskaya; Honored Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexei Tikhomirov; Honored Artist of Russia Ekaterina Mechetina; laureate of international competitions Andrei Korobeynikov; professor and musicologist Dina Kirnarskaya; leading soloists, choir members, and the Symphony orchestra of the Helikon-Opera Theater under the direction of chief conductor and Golden Mask National Award laureate Valery Kiryanov; and the Grand Combined Choir of the Mendeleev Choral Congress under the direction of Boris Tarakanov.
The rich and vibrant festival program will feature Piano Concertos No. 1 and No. 2, Symphony No. 13 "Babi Yar," and masterpieces of vocal lyricism, including "Satires" with lyrics by Sasha Cherny, the satirical cantata "Antiformalist Paradise," the vocal cycle "From Jewish Folk Poetry," the vocal-symphonic poem "The Execution of Stepan Razin," Symphony No. 5, and other works by the great Russian composer.
One of the festival's highlights will be the premiere of the play "Shostakovich-Tales" in the White Columned Hall of Princess Shakhovskaya. The production will include two works by D.D. Shostakovich for children: "The Tale of the Foolish Little Mouse" and "The Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda." A joint team from the two theaters is working on the creation of the premiere production. "Shostakovich Tales" will be presented by Helikon soloists and actors from the Moscow Puppet Theater, assisted by puppet characters created specifically for this production. The premiere will take place on September 26 and 27 at 12:00 PM in the Princess Shakhovskaya White Column Hall, after which "Shostakovich-Fairy Tales" will be included in the theater's repertoire.
The "Shostakovich Instead Chaos" festival will conclude with a performance of the famous opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk," directed by Dmitry Bertman. On September 27, the performance will feature Helikon-Opera's best soloists, the theater's choir, and the theater's Symphony orchestra. For the first time, one of the finest contemporary conductors, People's Artist of Russia, and principal conductor of the Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Felix Korobov will be at the conductor's stand of this legendary production.
We invite all fans of this outstanding composer to Helikon-Opera for the anniversary festival!
PROGRAM OF THE FESTIVAL
22.09 The Code of the Time. concert
23.09. Concert of the Soloists of Moscow Chamber Orchestra
24.09. Vocal Lyrics by Shostakovich
25.09. Shostakovich Instead Chaos Concert
26.09. A concert of Big Symphonic Orchestra named after P. I. Tchaikovsky
27.09. "The Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District" performance