Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Participants and Music Lovers!Welcome to the St. Petersburg International Piano Festival & Summer Academy "Grand Piano in Palaces". Saint Petersburg has long been a center of great musical and artistic culture. Our festival welcomes students of all ages and ability levels. We invite you to become a part of our festival either as an active participant and performer, or as an observer. All participants will have the opportunity to work with prominent piano pedagogues and to participate in recitals that focus on piano solo and ensemble repertoire. Selected participants will also have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform in concert at the Marble Room in the Marble Palace of the Russian Museum. Participants may also have an opportunity to play a concerto movement with chamber orchestra and to participate in a piano competition, however, competitions are optional, and a memorable experience as a participant and a performer in this festival is our goal…the competition is secondary to the purpose of experiencing the life of music in this special place, studying with several professors, and performing in a great location.

Everyone will enjoy and explore the cultural and historical sights of St. Petersburg including the Hermitage Museum, Tsarskoye Selo, Mariinsky Theatre, impressive cathedrals, and monuments, and we look forward to hosting many participants from different nations. While having the opportunity to learn, live, and exchange artistic experiences with professors and interact with participants of various nationalities, the festival aims at providing young performers with opportunities to perform in and to also experience the life of one of the great cities of the world.

I wish you all a pleasant stay in Sankt-Petersburg, while I augur all the participants a wonderful time and successful performances.

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ALEXANDER YAKOVLEVDIRECTOR

You will have the opportunity to perform in various concerts, including the Marble Palace at the closing ceremony of the festival, as well as with the chamber orchestra.

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Your piano lessons will take place in amazing Kochubey Mansion.

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"GRAND PIANO IN PALACES" PIANO FESTIVAL & SUMMER ACADEMY 2017MEET OUR FACULTY!!

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TSARSKOYE SELOARISTOCRATIC AGE

Why not to see the gilded luxuries of Russian Tsars summer residences and feel the royal air. You will see the Golden Enfilade of the charming baroque Catherine’s palace and restored Amber Room.

Tsarskoye Selo was the home of the Imperial family from the days of Peter the Great until the time of the last tsar, Nicolas II. It is a fascinating monument of world architectural and gardening art of the 18th and 19th centuries with a beautiful English-style park.

The center of the ensemble is the Catherine’s Palace, presenting exquisite objects d`art, furniture, paintings and unique collections of porcelain, amber and bronze.

The Tsarskoselsky Lyceum, an elite school established in Russia in the early 19th century is next to the palace. The greatest Russian poet Alexander Pushkin wrote his first masterpieces within the walls of the Lyceum.

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Welcome to our unique hotel "Ekaterina" situated in the complex of Ekaterininsky palace and park ensemble in Pushkin! This is the ideal combination of the old traditions and modern comfort, offering guests the opportunity to plunge into the palace environment of the past centuries, to touch the history and to be far away from the city noise and in the cozy atmosphere.

The pearl of the genius Rastrelli: Ekaterininsky Palace, the Cameron gallery and the lyceum of the famous Russian poet Pushkin…It's so simple to visit a fairy tale. "Ekaterina" suggests to its guest the exciting excursions around Pushkin, St. Petersburg and the special conditions for visiting the palace and park ensemble and the Amber room. You will have a chance to spent their time in Royal style. Hotel "Ekaterina" more information: http://www.hotelekaterina.ru/eng/

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Russian Restaurant

A meal in a traditional Russian restaurant is an essential item on the itinerary of most visitors to St. Petersburg. While there are numerous delights to be discovered in Russian cuisine itself, it is as much the ceremony and atmosphere, most often deeply nostalgic, that attracts visitors and locals to St. Petersburg's best Russian restaurants.

Café-Restaurant Europe is located in a building that is well-known among the residents of Pushkin Town as the Villa of Maria Patkul, Imperial Maid of Honour and the author of the memoirs about Russian autocrats. The magnificent mansion owned by the amazing woman who was a close friend of the royal family reflects the spirit and style of its time.

Café-Restaurant Europe is a five-minute walk away from the main entrance to the Catherine Palace, and it is one of the favourite visiting places for residents and guests of the town alike.

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Its diverse menu represents the European, Russian, and homemade cuisine; you can request the author's dish by the chef as well. You can find a vast selection of wines and a diverse range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in the menu.Café-Restaurant Europe means quality service, comfortable interior, attentive support, and delicious food.

You will experience the true pleasure as our visitors!

Enjoy the sculptures at the Summer Garden. Wander through the many parks and gardens at Peterhof. Or admire the scenery at Pavlovskiy Park, considered the best landscaped park in Europe.

Experience the palatial splendour of St Petersburg, from the majestic Winter Palace and the impressive Amber Room at the Catherine Palace to stunning Pavlovsk and the Imperial glamour of Peterhof.

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What is Included in the price?

Free bus St. Petersburg - Tsarskoe Selo State Museum August 10 and 21.(If your arrival/departure time is inconvenient for taking the bus provided, other transportation to the hotel is available at a reasonable cost.) 4**** Hotel "EKATERINA", situated in the complex of Catherine Palace and the park ensemble in Pushkin.

Restaurant "EUROPE" (breakfast/lunch/dinner), the restaurant is a 5-minute walk from the hotel.

6 Master Lessons by members of the piano faculty.  (Extra lessons can be arranged at an additional fee.)

Rooms for Practices are provided.

Piano Concerts in several Palaces.

Daily walks in Catherine Park.

We offer the journey to the Pavlovsk Park and Palace, the former residence of Tsar Paul of Russia in 18th-century. 

Some participants may choose to participate in a Piano Concerto Competition on 16 August, and the Piano Solo Competition on 17 August. There will be different age categories. Students may also choose to perform their solo programs and/or their concerto movement on these days without participating in the competition.16

Ensemble performances such as duets and piano trios are encouraged, but will not be considered as part of either competition.

"GRAND PIANO IN PALACES" PIANO FESTIVAL & SUMMER ACADEMY 2017 ST. PETERSBURG. RUSSIA.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (This schedule may change if necessary during the festival.)AUGUST 10Arrival to St. Petersburg - transfer to Tsarskoe Selo (Catherina Palace/hotel "EKATERINA")Evening: Opening Ceremony and Concert in the Marble Palace, and Dinner in St. Petersburg.AUGUST 11-20--The General Plan of the Festival:9 am: Breakfast. Giving practice and lesson schedule for the day.10 am: Practice time/lessons begin14 pm: Lunch15 pm: Practice time/ lessons continue, followed by concerts some days.21 pm: Dinner, then Night Walking in Caterina GardensAUGUST 14, 19, 20: "DISCOVER THE CITY"-- Hermitage, Russian Museum, Mariinsky Theatre, Peterhoff. (Additional fees will apply.) Practice/lesson schedules more flexible to arrange time for your tours.AUGUST 16Rehearsals with orchestra. Optional: International Piano Concerto Competition: “Grand Piano in Palaces”. Winners are announced afterwards and will perform 18 August. AUGUST 17All solo performance programs. Optional: Some students may choose to enter the International Solo Competition: “Grand Piano in Palaces”. Winners will be announced after all performances.AUGUST 18 Gala Evening Concert of the winners of the Piano Concerto Competition “Grand Piano in Palaces” and our closing festival ceremony in the Marble Palace, St. Petersburg.17

Dinner and Celebration in St. PetersburgAUGUST 21th: Departure for train/flights home.

Festival Tuition

The tuition is $2700 for participants and $2200 for parents traveling with a participant. The Observer fee is $2500. Concertos: Approximate $200 rehearsal fee for student participants, depending on the number of performers.

General Information for American Students

Dr. Reid Smith, the American professor at this festival, will be the director for all matters pertaining to the students and participants arriving from the USA. Pianists who are not students of Dr. Smith may be invited to attend by audition. The deadline for application and for sending one-half of the payment is May 1. If there is available space, invited pianists and observers can register until July 1.

The best choice for arrival and departure to St. Petersburg involves a flight to Helsinki, Finland. Both FinnAir and IcelandicAir offer excellent service. (Pricing is surprisingly inexpensive.) A bullet train departs from the Helsinki airport, and arrives in St. Petersburg in approximately 3.5 hours. This train offers various classes of service and a dining car.

Repertoire choices can vary but must be approved by Dr. Smith and forwarded to the festival in advance. For the concerto with chamber orchestra option, the concerto movement must be performed at a very high level, and should be suitable for performance will a smaller orchestra. The extra cost for performance with the orchestra will be determined by May 1 depending on the number of participants performing concertos. Other ensemble opportunities include duets or playing a movement of a piano trio or quartet instead of the concerto.

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American citizens will need a printed invitation from the festival to apply for the required Visa to Russia. It is suggested that the Visa process be given several months for processing to be certain that the required documentation is returned before departure.

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