This year, another traditional Kremlin Christmas tree will be added — a jazz one. On December 13th, the "Snowy Jazz" concert will take place in the Small Hall of the Kremlin Palace, featuring the most popular New Year songs and melodies in jazz arrangements.
This year marks the ninetieth anniversary of the legendary Soviet and Russian jazz musician Georgy Garanyan, and the ensemble "Melody," founded by the musician and composer, dedicates its concerts to this significant date. In anticipation of the New Year, the musicians have prepared a special festive program that includes both Soviet New Year classics such as "A Christmas Tree Was Born in the Forest," "Carnival Night," and other famous hits, as well as international hits from the repertoire of ABBA and The Beatles arranged by Georgy Garanyan. Melodies from Soviet cinema, to which Garanyan and his ensemble have a direct connection, will also be featured.
Together with Melody, Georgy Garanyan will be joined on stage by members of the young violin-piano duo consisting of Petr Fedotov and Marina Yakhlakova, as well as singer Nina Shatskaya.
“This concert is very important to me,” said the honored artist of Russia in an interview with “MK.” “I remember how the name Georgy Garanyan resonated in our family during my early childhood. My parents were well acquainted with him, and my father would travel to Moscow for concerts, exchanging arrangements with Georgy Aramovich. When I started working in Moscow, we also met, and I never dreamed that I would perform with such an orchestra and sing several songs just before the New Year. For me, this is a connection to the past and great names, a feeling of being part of a wonderful orchestra, and, of course, a memory of my father.”
Recently, jazz is no longer associated with music from a bygone era. There is a noticeable presence of young people at concerts, both in the audience and on stage. “We have a young orchestra,” says Nelli Garanyan, who organizes many concerts related to her famous husband. “The main musicians joined Georgy when they were around nineteen or twenty. This core group has been together for over fifteen years, while the orchestra continues to refresh itself. Many classical music educational institutions have recently opened jazz departments. One teacher told me how, during an open house, the director of the institute suggested to future applicants: ‘Let those who are only interested in classical art stay in this room, and those who want to play jazz, please move to another classroom.’ And no one remained in the hall.”
At the performances of Garanyan's Melody and the musicians who join the ensemble, boredom is never an issue, and the audience usually gets up from their seats because it's truly impossible to stay seated when this music plays. “The atmosphere at our concerts is joyfully nostalgic,” notes Nelli Garanyan. “People from the older generation always come up after the concert to thank both me and the musicians. The youth appreciates the freedom of interpretation of melodies from old Soviet films. In recent years, these films have been frequently shown, retro has become fashionable, and the recognizable music in a modern rendition resonates strongly with young people.”