Pianist Mark Damisch brought to Volgograd a message of peace and friendship from the United States

In the middle of September, a series of piano concerts by Mark Damisch, an American pianist and philanthropist, who since 1975 has been performing concerts all over the world in the hope that music and art will become a guarantee of goodwill and friendship between people, took place in Volgograd music schools.

During this time, he visited Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, performing classical music concerts in more than 40 countries. He worked with municipalities and cultural institutions in Russia, including the Tchaikovsky House Museum in Klin, Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Sheremetevsky and Shuvalovsky palaces in St. Petersburg, as well as the Hermitage Theater.

In 2017, despite the difficult situation on the international arena, he returned to Russia to visit the hero cities (besides Volgograd, there are Moscow and Smolensk on the route) and once again demonstrate that people's diplomacy and goodwill continue working even in the worst of times.

“America and Russia should be closer than the fingers on one hand. Our task is to work together, to fight together against a common enemy - terrorism,” of that Mark Damisch is certain.

The program of the concerts included works of composers from all over the world - "Romanian Dances" by Bela Bartok, "Rhapsody in C Major" by the Hungarian composer Ernst von Dohnanyi, "Appalachian Spring" by Aaron Copland, who in his works combined modern music with American folklore traditions, and the famous Russian "Katyusha", which was eagerly sung by all listeners.

A touching musical composition "Together with loneliness again", which Damisch composed by himself, was dedicated to the dead defenders of Stalingrad and their orphaned families.

University students, schoolchildren and members of the Elderly People Club of Volgograd greeted the guest with applause and gladly responded to a proposal to ask a couple of questions about life, favorite composers, music schools in America and the popularity of jazz among modern youth, so every concert was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Translated by Natalia Olennikova (Volgograd State University)

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