"ART-Contrast" - is a creative group of young professional musicians, graduates of Saint-Petersburg Conservatory, prizewinners of international and All-Russian contests and festivals.
The ensemble's originality and uniqueness is in combination of Russian folk instruments rather with classic music heritage, than with folklore tradition; therefore a specific position in the ensemble's extensive repertoire is held by compositions of Russian composers of 19-20th centuries: P. Tchaikovsky, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Arensky, M. Balakirev, A.Schnitke, R. Shchedrin, V. Zolotarev and many others. The compositions of baroque epoch, Vienna classic composers, romanticists: G. Handel, J. Haydn, G. Stolzel, C. Saint-Saens, F. Kreisler, E. Grieg sound magnificently when performed by the ensemble.
The ensemble is not bound with just concert activities, it is always ready for creative cooperation. Collaborative projects, connected with theatre, art are actively worked on. Cooperation with leading vocalists of St. Petersburg soloists of Maryinskiy theatre O. Kodina, I. Mataeva, V. Chernomorcev, V. Luhanin is one of the dimensions of the ensemble's creative work.
Ensemble performs in Saint Petersburg, goes on numerous tours in Russia and Western Europe, always attracting the interest of the most exigent audience. Performance virtuosity in combination with deep emotional presentation of musical images and maximal unfolding of composer's conception is the keystone of invariable success of the young musicians.
