Projects
Tour Marking the Orchestra's 80th Anniversary
A tour by the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra. From 26 March to 12 April 2025, the orchestra undertook a large-scale tour. The musicians performed in Kazan, St Petersburg and Moscow, with the opening and closing concerts held in Yaroslavl.
A tour of this scale had never before been organised in the orchestra's history.
The tour programme was varied, and notable for its depth and complexity: each concert had its own thematic focus. The orchestra performed at leading concert venues along the route — on 30 March at the Salikh Saidashev State Grand Concert Hall in Kazan, on 4 April 2025 on the stage of the State Academic Capella in St Petersburg, and on 5 April in the Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
The tour was supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture's "All-Russian Philharmonic Seasons" programme, the Ministry of Culture of the Yaroslavl Region, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Russian Peace Foundation.
International Music Project: Yaroslavl–Beijing–Moscow
Beijing, April 2025
In April, the stage of the China National Opera House in Beijing hosted a series of premiere performances of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin". The production was part of the international music project "The Voice of Music: Yaroslavl–Beijing–Moscow", marking the composer's 185th birth anniversary.
The project's music director was Vasily Valitov, Principal Conductor of the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra and Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The production was directed by Alexander Sozonov, Artistic Director of the Volkov Russian State Academic Drama Theatre, with set design by Olga Kuznetsova.
The leading roles were performed by Ekaterina Morozova, soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, as Tatyana Larina, and Alexander Sukhanov, soloist of the Yaroslavl State Philharmonic, as Eugene Onegin.
The production was staged with the support of the China National Opera House, the Government of the Yaroslavl Region, the Ministry of Culture of the Yaroslavl Region, and the Russian Peace Foundation.
Yaroslavl–Moscow, October 2025
On 11 October at the Yaroslavl State Philharmonic, and on 13 October in the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International House of Music, gala concerts of the international music project "The Voice of Music: Yaroslavl–Beijing–Moscow" took place.
The concert programme featured laureates of international competitions, leading soloists of the China National Opera House, and Russian performers. The musicians were accompanied by the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Vasily Valitov, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The Chinese soloists performed national works and excerpts from Russian operas, while the Russian artists performed works by Chinese composers. The project featured Du Xuan, Wang Qingshuang, Li Jingjing, Li Shuang and Wang Yiqing.
As part of the project, an official reception for the participants was held at the Government of the Yaroslavl Region. Governor Mikhail Evraev noted the importance of international creative exchange for developing the region's cultural and tourism ties.
The project was carried out with the support of the Russian Peace Foundation, the Government and Ministry of Culture of the Yaroslavl Region, and the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China.
The gala concert continued the collaboration begun in spring 2025, when a creative team from Yaroslavl, led by Vasily Valitov, took part in staging the opera "Eugene Onegin" at the China National Opera House in Beijing.
International Festival ‘Bridge of Arts: Russia — China’
From 3 to 9 February 2026, the Moscow International Music Festival "Bridge of Arts: Russia — China" was held in Moscow, Klin and Yaroslavl. The project took place as part of the cross-cultural Years of Education between Russia and China, bringing together young musicians from both countries, renowned masters of the classical stage, and leading concert venues.
The festival programme included concerts and educational events in the halls of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the concert hall of the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve in Klin, and the Yaroslavl State Philharmonic.
The finale was a gala concert on 9 February in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, dedicated to the celebration of Chinese New Year, bringing together festival laureates from Russia and China alongside renowned classical performers.
The stage featured Daniil Kogan and Stanislav Korchagin, laureates of the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition, international competition laureate Marina Ruseishvili, Chinese violist Zhang Kailin, and Russian violinist Arsenia Sibilyova. A special symbol of cultural dialogue was their joint performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra.
The soloists were accompanied by the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra, led by Principal Conductor Vasily Valitov, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan. The programme featured works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Edvard Grieg, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gioachino Rossini.
The festival was organised by the Association of Laureates of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. The project was realised with the participation of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra, the Yaroslavl State Philharmonic, the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve, and the International Union of Musicians.
The Legend of Valentina
The Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra presented the multimedia project "The Legend of Valentina" at the Nikita Mikhalkov "Studio 12" Theatre in Moscow. The performance was dedicated to the birthday of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.
"The Legend of Valentina" is a large-scale project telling the story of the founders of Russian space exploration, the history of the first cosmonaut squad, and key milestones in the development of Russia's space industry. The project was created in 2017 on the initiative of Elena Tereshkova, daughter of Valentina Tereshkova, and Dmitry Kogan, Honoured Artist of Russia and a member of a renowned violin dynasty.
The programme featured unique archival footage related to the life and work of Valentina Tereshkova. The musical programme comprised works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Georgy Sviridov, Antonio Vivaldi, Johannes Brahms, Giuseppe Tartini and Alexandra Pakhmutova.
The works were performed by the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra under Principal Conductor Vasily Valitov, together with soloists Andrei Tereshkov and Gleb Proshutinsky.
National Educational Project: Voice of Music — Academy of Young Conductors
In 2026–2027, Yaroslavl is hosting the international music education project "The Voice of Music: Academy of Young Conductors". Its main goal is to create conditions for the professional growth of young conductors. Participants gain the opportunity to acquire practical experience working with a symphony orchestra, develop professional skills, exchange experience, and take part in concert programmes.
As part of the project, masterclasses with renowned musical figures are held in Yaroslavl.
Participants have already worked with distinguished conductors: Professor Wolfgang Scheidt (Austria), laureate of the Vittorio Gui International Conductors' Competition in Florence, and Professor Jiang Ziyin of the Central Conservatory of Music of China, a conductor who has worked with leading orchestras around the world.
Students of higher institutions of culture and art studying in the "Opera and Symphonic Conducting" programme are invited to take part in the training.
The project will conclude with the International Young Conductors Competition in November 2027. The laureates' concert will be held in the Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
The project is organised by the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra under Principal Conductor Vasily Valitov, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan. It is supported by the Russian-Austrian Public Forum "Sochi Dialogue", the Russian Peace Foundation, and the Ministry of Culture of the Yaroslavl Region.
N. I. Ayazyan Young Performers Competition ‘YaMusician’
In February 2026, students of children's music schools and secondary specialised music institutions took part in competitive auditions. The organisers were the Ministry of Culture of the Yaroslavl Region, the ANO "Verkhnyaya Volga Media" (the YaPervy TV channel), the Yaroslavl State Philharmonic, and the L. V. Sobinov Yaroslavl Music College.
All stages of the competition were broadcast live on the YaPervy TV channel and online platforms.
The jury included conductors, heads of creative ensembles, college teachers and honoured figures of culture. The winners — First Degree laureates — earned the right to perform with the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra under Vasily Valitov.
YAGSO Youth Chamber Orchestra of Soloists
In August 2026, on the initiative of Vasily Valitov, Principal Conductor of the Yaroslavl Academic Governor's Symphony Orchestra, the YAGSO Youth Chamber Orchestra of Soloists was founded.
The new ensemble will become a space for creative exploration, professional growth for young performers, and dialogue between the philharmonic's academic stage and a contemporary audience. The project is intended to help young listeners discover the world of classical music and reveal the richness and expressive possibilities of chamber orchestral sound.
The Youth Chamber Orchestra's repertoire will be broad and multifaceted. Concert programmes will include works by Russian and foreign composers from different eras — from Viennese classicism to contemporary music. Alongside original works for string orchestra, the programme will feature symphonic arrangements of well-known melodies, songs and soundtracks from iconic films.
In shaping the repertoire, particular attention will be paid to two directions: programmes should be accessible and engaging for a young audience, while also carrying significant educational value, helping to foster aesthetic and moral values.
The creation of the Youth Chamber Orchestra marks an important milestone in the development of musical life in the Yaroslavl Region and opens up new opportunities for the creative development of young musicians.