12th International Music Festival
Odessa Classics 2026
The famous pianist and festival director Alexey Botvinov presents a 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.
Sponsor of the project
Spiez
📅 21 May
- Michael Guttman (violin)
- Samuel Justitz (cello)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| Program coming soon |
Casino, Bern
📅 29 June
- Ensemble “NICO”
- Gediminas Gelgotas (artistic director, conductor)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| Program |
| Music by Bach, Glass, Richter, Gelgotas, Einaudi |
Tonhalle, Zürich
📅 5 October
- Jing Zhao (cello)
- Michael Guttman (violin)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| Program |
| Rachmaninov “Trio elegiaque” |
| Piazzolla “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” |
Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zürich
📅 15 November
- Michail Schischkin (writer)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| “Menschen. Musik. Schicksale. 4 Teil” |
| Program |
| Music by Bach |
Passed events
Kunsthaus, Zürich
📅 28 January, 19:30
- Tanja Sonc (violin)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
- Video installations – VJ Videomatics
| A concert of classical and crossover music with video art |
| Program |
| Music by Glass, Richter, Rachmaninoff, Piazzolla and Macmillan |
Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zürich
📅 1 February, 16:00
- Michail Schischkin (writer)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| “Rachmaninov” project |
| Program |
| Text by Michail Schischkin (in German) with music by Rachmaninov |
Tonhalle, Zürich
📅 1 March, 19:30
- Elena Bashkirova (piano)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| Program | |
| Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy | „The Hebrides“ Overture, Op. 26, for piano four hands Selection from „Seven Songs Without Words“ for piano four hands |
| Ludwig van Beethoven | Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 „Pathétique“ (A. Botvinov) |
| Antonín Dvořák | Selection from „Poetic Mood Pictures“ Op. 85 (E. Bashkirova) |
| Franz Schubert | Fantasy in F minor, D 940, for piano four hands |
Tallinn State
music Academy
📅 15 May
Program coming soon
Odessa Classics at Ottawa Chamberfest
Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, Ottawa
📅 25 July, 19:00
- Anna Pompeeva (soprano)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
- Brett Polegato (baritone)
- Emily Kruspe (violin)
- Carissa Klopoushak (violin and viola)
- Gryphon Trio (piano trio)
- Annalee Patipatanakoon (violin)
- Roman Borys (cello)
- Jamie Parker (piano)
- Sam Loeck (double bass)
| Program |
| Yakiv Stepovyi (1883–1921) O Mother Earth (poetry by Ivan Franko) O Cherished Word (poetry by Oleksandr Oles) |
| Valentin Silvestrov (b. 1937) Moments of Memory (V) for Piano Trio (2024) – North American Premiere (Commissioned by 53rd Istanbul Music Festival 2025 / Turkey; Wonderfeel Festival / The Netherlands; Walden Festival / Belgium; Off the Beaten Path Festival / Bulgaria; Beethoven Fest Bonn / Germany; Odessa Classics / Ukraine) |
| Mykola Lysenko (1842–1912) Mariltsa’s Aria from the opera Taras Bulba |
| Borys Lyatoshynsky (1894–1968) «A Quiet Wind Blows in the Field» |
| Ukrainian folk song «Oh, I Know That I Have Sinned» (arr. Vladislav Zaremba) |
| Viktoria Polyova (b. 1962) «Blessed Sadness» for two violins and piano – North American Premiere |
| Myroslav Skoryk (1938–2020) «Carpathian Rhapsody» |
| Alemdar Karamanoff (1934–2007) «Night prayer» from Piano Concerto no. 3 (“Ave Maria”) (arr. Alexey Botvinov) |
| Dmytro Klebanov (1907–1987) Scherzo from Trio No. 2 for Piano, Violin and Cello |
| Mykola Lysenko (1842–1912) Élégie. “La Tristesse” from 3 Pieces from ‘Album from the Summer of 1901’, Op.39 |
| Vasyl Barvinsky (1888–1963) Variations for Strings and Piano Theme – Andante (quasi Larghetto) Variation I – Listesso tempo Variation II – Scherzo Variation III – Lyrist Song Variation IV – Allegro moderato ma energico Variation V – Dumka Variation VI – Kolomyika |
| Myroslav Skoryk (1938–2020) «Melody» |
This performance runs approximately two hours and five minutes
(including a 20-minute intermission)
Thessaloniki Concert Hall
«Emilios Riadis» Hall (M2)
📅 4 March, 20:30
- Matthias Goerne (baritone)
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
| Program |
| Franz Schubert — «Winterreise» («Winter Journey») vocal cycle |
| Schubert’s Winterreise, undoubtedly the greatest masterpiece of the German song repertoire, is today considered a benchmark when performed by Matthias Goerne. |
Thessaloniki
State Conservatory
📅 13 March, 20:30
- Alexey Botvinov (piano)
- Video installations – VJ Videomatics
| Program |
| Visual Classics – concert with videoart |
| Music by Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Glass, Einaudi |
Alexey Botvinov
President and Art Director of the Festival, People's Artist of Ukraine
Matthias Goerne
Baritone
