11th International Music Festival
Odessa Classics 2025

🇨🇭 «Botvinov and Friends» March — November

🇬🇷 Greece 16 March — 6 April

🇩🇪 Germany 7 — 14 June

Artists Artists of the Odessa Classics festival

The famous pianist and festival director Alexey Botvinov is launching a new concert series “Botvinov and Friends” in Zürich. The aim of the project is to bring classical music to a young and broad audience at a high level in an innovative and traditional way.

Tonhalle, Zürich

📅 19 березня, 19:30

Ilva Eigus (violin)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

Program
Johann Sebastian Bach	Sonata No.4 in C minor BWV 1017 for violin and harpsichord
Alfred Schnittke	«Suite in the old style» for violin and piano
Johannes Brahms	Scherzo from the «FAE Sonata» for violin and piano
César Franck	Violin Sonata in A major

Kunsthaus Festsaal, Zürich

📅 7 May, 19:30

Ensemble NICO (New Ideas Chamber Orchestra)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)
Video installations – VJ Videomatics

Program
Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Vivaldi, Glass, Richter, Gelgotas

Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zürich

📅 18 May, 16:00

- Mikhail Shishkin (writer)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)

“My Pushkin” – literary-musical project
Program
Text by Mikhail Shishkin (in German) about Pushkin’s life and the parallels to modern Russia with piano music from “Seasons” by Tchaikovsky and “Études-Tableaux” by Rachmaninoff.

Tonhalle, Zürich

📅 23 August, 19:30

Alissa Margulis (violin)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

Program
Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Dvorak

Konservatorium Florhof, Zürich

📅 22 October, 19:30

Burhan Öçal (percussion)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

Program
Bach, Beethoven, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Glass

Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zürich

📅 23 листопада, 11:30

- Mikhail Shishkin (writer)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)

“Waiting for Execution” project
Program
Text by Mikhail Shishkin (in German) with music by Prokofiev and Shostakovich

Thessaloniki Concert Hall
«Emilios Riadis» Hall (M2)

📅 16 March, 20:30

Themelis Glynatsis (conception, direction)
Dimitris Platanias (baritone)
Christos Kechris (tenor)
Sofia Tamvakopoulou (piano)
Chrysoula Korovesi & Marios Gambierakis (projection design)

Program
“This is Britten” project
The performance is based on two emblematic song cycles by the English composer Benjamin Britten, one of the most important composers of the 20th century, which were presented for the first time in Greece in the context of this performance. The aim of the stage installation is to convey to the audience, both musically and scenically, the particular emotional and philosophical charge of these two cycles, which explore the personal despair of both the poets and the composer, the tormenting religious doubt, but also the persistent search for atonement and freedom.

Thessaloniki Concert Hall
«Friends of Music» Hall (M1)

📅 27 March, 20:30

Cassandre Berthon (soprano)
Ludovic Tezier (bariton)
State Orchestra of Thessaloniki
Jordi Bernacer (conductor)

Program
Arias and duets from bel canto operas

Thessaloniki Concert Hall
«Friends of Music» Hall (M1)

📅 29 March, 20:30

Dimitris Kalantzis Quintet:

Dimitris Kalantzis (piano, arrangements)
Takis Paterelis (saxophone)
Andreas Polyzogopoulos (trumpet)
Alexandros-Drakos Ktistakis (drums)
Georgos Georgiadis (bass)

State Orchestra Thessaloniki
Miltos Logiadis (orchestra conductor)
Yiannis Antonopoulos (orchestra score)

Program
Tribute to Miki Theodorakis: Modes & Moods
This specific work concerns a jazz look at the work of Mikis Theodorakis. Mikis’ musical origins, as he himself says, are influenced by Byzantine Music, a musical genre dominated by musical and Isocrates modes, in the environment of a devout atmosphere, elements recognizable in those parts of jazz discography that are characterized as modal.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Ceremony Hall

📅 30 March, 19:30

Alexey Botvinov (piano)
Georgios Demertzis (violin)

Program
Pärt	“Fratres”
Silvestrov	“Melodies of the Moments”, Cycle III
Theodorakis	Sonatine No.1
Franck	Sonata

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Ceremony Hall

📅 2 April, 20:00

Claudio Mansutti (clarinet)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)
Yevgeniy Kostrytskyy (violin)
Odessa Classics Chamber Orchestra

Program
Weber	Concertino for Clarinet and orchestra
Valentin Silvestrov	“Silent music”
Boris Lyatoshynsky	Melody for violin and orchestra
Zoltan Almashi	“Maria’s city. Dedicated to the people of Maryupol”
Rossini	Variations C Dur for Clarinet and orch.
Philip Glass	“Tirol Concerto” for piano and orchestra
Yuri Shewchenko	“We are”. The Paraphrase on the Ukrainian Anthem for violin and orchestra
Myroslav Skoryk	“Melody”

Florina Cultural Center
“Thodoros Aggelopoulos” Hall

📅 5 April, 19:00

Alexey Botvinov (piano)
Georgios Demertzis (violin)

Program
Pärt, Silvestrov, Theodorakis, Franck

Kozani Art Hall

📅 6 April, 19:00

Alexey Botvinov (piano)
Georgios Demertzis (violin)

Program
Pärt, Silvestrov, Theodorakis, Franck

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 7 June, 21:00

Grigory Sokolov (piano)

Program
Byrd	John come kiss me now FVB 10 Pavane & Galliarde FVB 167 Fantasia FVB 8 Alman FVB 163 The Earl of Salisbury – Pavane & Galliarde No 1 & 2 T 503 Callino casturame FVB 158
Brahms	4 Ballades Op.10 2 Rhapsodies Op.79

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 8 June, 20:30

Dinara Klinton (piano)

Program
Liszt	Après une Lecture du Dante – Fantasia quasi sonata
Levko Revutsky	Song Op.17 No.1
Victor Kosenko	Étude C sharp minor
Chopin	Piano sonata No 2 B flat major

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 10 June, 20:30

Mikhail Shishkin (writer)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

“My Pushkin” – literary-musical project
Program
Text by Mikhail Shishkin (in German) about Pushkin’s life and the parallels to modern Russia with piano music from “Seasons” by Tchaikovsky and “Études-Tableaux” by Rachmaninoff.

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 11 June, 20:30

Sebastian Bohren (violin)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

Program
Mozart	Violin sonata E minor K.304
Silvestrov	Melodies of the Moments for piano and violin
Prokofiev	Violin sonata F minor Op.80

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 12 June, 20:30

Mischa Maisky (cello)
Alissa Margulis (violin)
Sascha Maisky (violin)
Lily Maisky (piano)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

Program
Brahms, Dvorák, Schumann

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 13 June, 20:30

Mischa Maisky (cello)
Alissa Margulis (violin)
Sascha Maisky (violin)
Lily Maisky (piano)
Alexey Botvinov (piano)

Program
Brahms, Beethoven, Debussy

Schloss Elmau
Concert Hall

📅 14 June, 20:30

Vitali Klitschko (Mayor of Kyiv)
Paul Ronzheimer (Deputy Chief Editor BILD)

Conversation on the current political situation in Ukraine.

IMPORTANT NOTE
Please note that Vitali Klitschko may have to cancel his participation at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances. In this case, Paul Ronzheimer will bring along another dialogue partner.