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Mariinsky Orchestra to give Concert for Unity at Washington National Cathedral

The new Mariinsky Orchestra performance is a highly anticipated event in the States

WASHINGTON, November 13. /TASS/. St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Orchestra featuring maestro Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev will give a "Concert for Unity" on Monday at the Washington National Cathedral, the world’s sixth largest cathedral. Susan Carmel Lehrman is the presenting sponsor and chair of the event. The concert is held in cooperation with the Russian Embassy in the US.

According to the organizers, the concert aims to stress similarity in views and traditions of various nations with a special focus on relations between the US and Russia in the sphere of music, arts and culture.

Apart from the Russian performers, the grand event will feature the Washington National Cathedral choir, its organ player and bell-ringers. The program includes music by both Russian and American composers.

The sponsor about the forthcoming event

"I sponsored and chaired tonight’s event because it furthers my goals of highlighting the common cultural bonds that our two countries share in this instance through the beauty and power of music. Tonight’s performances will offer our audience an authentic and meaningful cultural experience housed in this iconic house of prayer in a show of unity and celebration," Susan Carmel Lehrman told TASS.

"In challenging times it is increasingly important to maintain cultural dialogue. Without dialogue there is no hope, and without hope there is no future, because only person-to-person dialogue can resolve issues so prevalent in this environment," she said.

"Tonight’s event showcases the importance of cultural diplomacy," the concert sponsor affirmed.

"We are demonstrating the strength of cultural cooperation through great artists, which gives us the opportunity to elevate us to an even greater understanding through music. The artistic world works cooperatively together, and we are highlighting this cooperation and mutual respect," Susan Lehrman concluded.

‘A humanitarian holiday’

Head of the US representative office of the Russian Federal Agency for the CIS Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) and Head of the Russian Cultural Center, Oleg Zhiganov, has told TASS about the forthcoming concert.

"The new Mariinsky Orchestra performance in the US is an event anticipated by many people here, as evidenced by our counterparts, partners and ordinary Americans," he said.

"I am confident that the Russian artists will offer the audience incredible classical music performance. This performance will become a real humanitarian holiday directed at overcoming the barriers of misunderstanding. In our relations culture is the heart of friendship and cooperation," Zhiganov affirmed.

The forthcoming Mariinsky Orchestra concert will become one of the final ones in the largest season tour, which will end with performance at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York on November 14-15. On Sunday, the Mariinsky Orchestra successfully performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.