Istra’s Summer Music Festival Returns with a Tribute to Shostakovich

The ninth edition of the “Summer. Music. Museum” festival is set to take place from July 8 to 12 at the New Jerusalem Museum in Istra, just outside Moscow. Organised by the museum and the Moscow Regional Philharmonic, the event has been a staple since 2018, supported by the federal and regional culture ministries.

This year’s programme marks the 120th birthday of Dmitri Shostakovich. Concert lineups will pair his compositions with works by composers who shaped his artistic world—including Mussorgsky, Mahler, Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov, Prokofiev, Hindemith, and Stravinsky. Performances will be held outdoors with a panoramic view of the New Jerusalem Monastery.

Artistic director Dmitry Yurovsky said the festival couldn’t ignore such a milestone. “We’ve woven Shostakovich’s pieces together with the music of those who influenced him most,” he noted.

Headliners include the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, led by conductors Yurovsky, Fyodor Beznosikov, and Filipp Chizhevsky. Cellist Alexander Rudin also joins the roster. First-time performers include violinists Olga Volkova and Elena Tarosyan, as well as pianists Stanislav Korchagin and Abisal Gergiev. The closing gala will feature the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra.

What sets this festival apart is how it blends music with museum exhibits and the surrounding landscape. Before each concert, guests can explore the museum’s current shows, including a Savrasov exhibition, a display of lacquer miniatures, and a showcase of works by Konstantin Gorbatov. Museum director Anna Antipenko described the experience as “a space where music, painting, history, and architecture all come together.”