The 16th Winter International Yuri Bashmet Art Festival arrives in Sochi this February with an impressive lineup that underscores the region’s ongoing enthusiasm for winter arts. The program blends orchestral music, theatre, and performing arts, highlighting a global array of voices while honoring Russian artistic heritage. The festival positions winter culture as a vibrant, year-round conversation between disciplines, audiences, and creators from around the world.
At the helm is Yuri Bashmet, a conductor whose name signals a high level of artistic credibility and leadership. The program features renowned theatre and film talents, including Yevgeny Mironov, Konstantin Khabensky, Sergei Garmash, and Elizaveta Boyarskaya, each bringing a distinctive screen and stage presence that enriches the overall experience. The lineup further expands with Ildar Abdrazakov, an acclaimed opera bass whose voice adds a lyrical depth to the festival’s musical fabric. International guests broaden the scope with the Cuban jazz ensemble Blues de Habana and Zule Guerra, a project drawing on Spanish influences to broaden the program’s cultural reach. Notable dancers such as Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi’s principal ballerina, will illuminate the stages with Boulezian precision alongside Vadim Repin, a virtuoso violinist familiar to classical music lovers. The Indian dance company Aditi Mangaldas brings a dynamic contemporary voice that highlights cross-cultural dialogue in the arts.
Additional leading figures include conductors Justus Franz and Teodor Currentzis, whose ensembles are celebrated for bold, imaginative interpretations across a wide repertoire. Valery Gergiev and his Musica Aeterna ensemble are also set to participate, delivering a commanding conducting presence that has drawn praise from audiences worldwide. This mix of international and regional talents positions the festival as a truly global gathering for dedicated music and performing arts enthusiasts seeking rigorous, expressive artistry.