Jazz musician Igor Butman teams up with the Moscow Jazz Orchestra and collaborates with acclaimed actor Konstantin Khabensky to present an updated rendition of Sergei Prokofiev’s classic musical tale, Peter and the Wolf. The organizers shared this with socialbites.ca, highlighting a fresh concert experience that blends Prokofiev’s storytelling with contemporary jazz sensibilities.
The performance is set to close the third international Moscow Jazz Festival on June 16 at the Zaryadye Concert Hall. Christina Krit contributes original jazz arrangements that reimagine Prokofiev’s tale for a modern audience, weaving together narrative through melody and improvisation. Festival attendees in the Odnoklassniki group will gain exclusive access to forthcoming show details, rehearsal clips, behind-the-scenes stories about Prokofiev’s link to jazz, and more unique content.
Butman notes that Prokofiev’s influence has shaped the trajectory of jazz creativity even without Prokofiev becoming a jazz musician himself. Many performers find inspiration in the composer’s melodic language, which fuels new interpretations across genres and generations.
“Konstantin Khabensky was chosen as the reader because he is a remarkable actor with a deep musical intuition, and he already knows this fairy tale intimately. We are in the midst of rehearsals for a new program,” explains the saxophonist. “Careful preparation is essential: honoring Prokofiev’s style while infusing our own jazz voice into the performance.”
From June 11 to 15, OK festival subscribers will enjoy exclusive live broadcasts of the Educational program created in partnership with the Russian Information Society. The broadcasts will feature performances by Butman, the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, and international guests such as Dhafer Youssef (Tunisia), Richard Bona (USA), Avishai Cohen (Israel), Konstantin Khabensky, Dmitry Malikov with the Pianomaniya Jazz program, Viktor Dobronravov and the Kinoproektor ensemble, Roberto Fonseca (Cuba), Medzhikul, Jukebox trio, and more, offering a rich glimpse into the festival’s broader artistic ecosystem.
Earlier this year, singer Olga Buzova and several other stars commented on the decision to award the prize within the High Five program, which is determined by votes from young listeners aged eight to eighteen. The discussion touched on personal memories from the winners’ childhoods as part of the award ceremony’s storytelling aspect.
In prior festival coverage, updates highlighted collaborative projects and pairings that emphasize cross-genre dialogue, as organizers continually expand the festival’s musical reach and audience engagement. The current concert aims to fuse Prokofiev’s narrative arc with a contemporary jazz palette, inviting listeners to experience a familiar tale through fresh improvisational textures and expressive solos, all performed under the iconic Moscow Jazz Festival banner.