Autumn Salon 2018

The end of September, beginning of October is opening of the season in the leading musical theaters and concert halls of New York, premieres in drama theaters, new exhibitions in museums and galleries. It is not easy to keep up with all of it, and sometimes the idea arises, is it possible to combine different areas of art in a single space and at the same time.

The idea is not new, as well as attempts to implement it, although they are not always successful. For example, you came to the Guggenheim Museum and move along its famous spiral, looking at the treasures of the visual arts, while at the same time a good jazz band plays in the center of the lower hall. In the rumble of huge space, jazz is lost, perceived as a background;  in the noise of the crowd musical fragments fail to generate an emotional connection with the visual range of the exposition. It becomes insulting for the musicians.

There are also successful examples: “Musical salons” at the Baryshnikov Center for the Arts, where the musical and visual components, each of a high level of performance, are carefully chosen to match each other in terms of subject matter and depth.
Was the experiment of Tatiana Borodina, the publisher of Elegant New York, the creator and head of the International Art Alliance, who opened her Autumn Salon on October 5, 2018 at the National Opera Center, successful one?

The Public gathered in great numbers. The salon attracted those who are equally interested in high fashion, great music and painting. The talented masters of these genres presented their art. Combining their forms of art into a single presentation turned out to be possible and extremely organic thanks to a well-thought out  matching of styles and a modern concept.

But how could I not take the risk, Tatyana continued, if I clearly and vividly imagined this evening, I felt and saw how it should develop. I worry, because this time we are doing something different than usual, the accent is on classical music, opera. Although fashion will also appear on the stage, and the works of artists will make the evening more refined and exclusive. The reaction of the guests will show whether my idea was successful or not. And of course, the reaction of the participants of the evening, which is especially important for me: we are one team. ”

Salon began as usual, with a buffet. As already established tradition, fine wines, festive mood and professional service, was provided by the sponsor – the restaurant “Vella Wine Bar and Kitchen”.

And in the auditorium the work of experimental artists was on display for guests to set the tone for the whole evening.

The paintings of Elena Lezhen have won the hearts of art lovers all over the world precisely because she is constantly searching for new means of self-expression. Her favorite works on black paper became collectible for many of her fans. Without ceasing to write in this manner, she creates new works on surfaces unusual for painting. At her latest solo exhibition in Barcelona, Elena presented the public a picture painted … on the door, several images printed on the glass of ancient screens, as well as an amazing composition on a 30 meter long ruberoid ribbon hung from the window of the 2nd floor of the gallery. Isn’t this a call to designers of the interior?

Katya Leonovich is an experimenter and a rebel by nature. Her motto is “art in motion.” Her desire is to achieve complete freedom of expression. “I want to develop a different type of beauty that allows not only to embody my style and my ideas into life, but also to bring into the world a powerful author’s message,” says Kate.

“Color is my element,” says David, “and work on composition is the main topic for reflection. Only when the image ripens to the smallest detail, I gladly transfer it to the canvas and fill it with color. ”

The bright paintings of Sharashidze harmoniously fit into the atmosphere of the evening, emphasizing the riot of colors of the designer collection “Rhapsody of Color”, which will be discussed below.

And as usual, Art Alliance presented a debutant: Olga Sushkova-Hyunyadi just recently moved to America, and to her first exhibition in New York traveled from Boston, not without a road adventure. But she made it and her work was a great success. Her images seem to come from dreams, from the mysterious world of visions and romantic desires. Olga is a tireless and inquisitive researcher of the subconscious and its connection with the world of sensual reality.

But now the guests took their places, and charming presenter Gunel Alizade, “part-time” – journalist Elegant New York, announced the program of the concert.

Wonderful voices of opera divas sounded in the chamber hall with excellent acoustics. The vocal duet of Evgenia Pirshina and Tatiana Dybal won the hearts of the public with skill, virtuoso technique, artistry and sincerity, full coherence and harmony.

Both popular arias and duets from operas and little-known, but remarkable works were performed: Jacques Offenbach’s Barcarol from “Hoffmann’s Tales”, a duet from  Hector Berlioz opera “Bectorice and Benedict” on the plot of Shakespeare’s Comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Evgenia Pirshina sang Delilah’s aria from the “Samson and Delilah” opera by Saint-Saens, and from her “Habanera” from “Carmen” the audience was absolutely delighted. Tatyana Dybal sang Juliet’s aria from Romeo and Juliet by Gounod.

Evgenia Pirshina: “Music has been with me since I was six years old. I graduated Emil Gilels music school, class fortepiano and then continued my studies at the music department of the Moscow State Pedagogical University. I was very lucky with the teacher. Maria Ganeshina said that I have a voice, and that I should take it very seriously, work on it, develop it. ”

Becoming an opera singer, owner of a beautiful contralto, she entered the Moscow Stanislavsky and Vl. Nemirovicha-Danchenko Musical Theater. After working in the theater for several years, she became interested in photography and began to work  professionally. The amazing world of the opera and ballet scenes found in her pictures a unique reflection. Her talent for photography was marked by many international prizes.

Evgenia Pirshina is a soloist of the Opera Panama, and this season she is invited to sing at the Chicago Opera. Tatyana Dybal, a soloist with the Minsk Musical Theater and the Ensemble of the of North Western University (Chicago), actively gives concerts in the USA.

It was an ensemble of talented performers from different countries and continents, different schools and different fates, and, perhaps, because of this, it sounded unusually fresh.

A short intermission with a glass of wine and then the second part, which began with a surprise.

Olga Slavnina took place in the front of piano. A pianist and the creator of the famous Evenings on the Hudson Club, has long been working with the Art Alliance. The music sounded, and a charming girl appeared on the stage in an incredibly gentle and elegant evening dress. Her beauty was emphasized by elegant earrings and a stunning cocktail ring made from pearl petals and sparkling crystals in the rays of spotlights. The fashion defile of the collection “Rhapsody of Color”, co-created by evening dress designer Olga Banartseva and artist-jeweler Kira Koktysh, began.

This show was not a standard one. Romantic dresses and exquisite jewelry inspired the girls to show everything in motion – they circled, played femininely with light tails of long skirts and even flirted a little with the audience. The show recalled the first defile of Coco Chanel, which she conducted for a narrow circle of clients in her boutique salon in Paris.

In the “Rhapsody of Color” one could feel the intimacy and trustfulness of communication between designers and their public. One model followed another, each image, each outfit, each decoration was admired and delighted with its freshness, originality and novelty. The duo of Banartseva and Koktysh turned out to be no less successful than the duet by Pirshina and Dybal, which was confirmed by the reaction and applausenof the public.

Kira Koktysh: “In the duet of designers, the most important thing, in my opinion, is trust and understanding. Trust in taste, experience, your partner’s instincts. The ability to compromise for the sake of a common result. And it is extremely important that the overall project is equally important for both parties. Our joint project with Olga was full of mutual inspiration. ”

After the defile the concert continued. In the second part, Evgenia Pirshina and Tatiana Dybal performed the duet of Tchaikovsky from “The Queen of Spades” and “Eugene Onegin”, the arias from Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Snow Maiden”, the songs of Sergei Rakhmaninov.

My hidden skepticism was dispelled. The experiment was a success, as evidenced by the applause, shouts of bravo and questions from the public, when is the next evening of the Art Alliance planned. The organizers promised that New York winter will bring not only cold and slush, but also the warmth and beauty of the new International Art Alliance Salons.

After the end of the evening, I asked Tatyana Borodina about her impressions. 

“Despite my optimism in preparation, the result exceeded even my expectations,” she laughed happily. But this is not an accident – the evening was very desirable, interesting and necessary for all participants equally. Everyone invested in it not only skill and talent but most importantly, passion and desire. It is not often the case that all participants are sincerely united in their desire to show themselves at the highest level. This is an impulse, and it is exhausting, but it allows you to create something extraordinary and brings real creative satisfaction. It seems to me that the public was lucky – today we had a unique evening, and I am happy that I could help this evening to happen.

 

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