On June, 1 the Grand Hall of the Shostakovich St Petersburg Academic Philharmonia hosted the final concert of the International Musical Olympus Festival. Yao-Yu Wu from Taiwan, winner of the International Competition for Young Conductors in Besancon, appeared at the conductor’s podium. The St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra of St Petersburg Philarmonia under his baton performed overture to the operetta ‘Die Fledermaus‘ (The Bat)  by J. Strauss. 

Then Maia Cabeza from the United States mesmerized the audience with a virtuoso interpretation of the song for violin and orchestra ‘The Lark Ascending’ by R. Vaughan Williams and rhapsody for violin with orchestra ‘Gipsy’ by M. Ravel. After that bass-baritone Ao Li  from China won the hearts of the audience with his artistic skills: he sang Aleko’s cavatina from opera ‘Aleko’ by S. Rachmaninoff, Leporello’s aria from ‘Don Giovanni’ by W. A. Mozart, and Belcore’s aria from opera ‘L'elisir d'amore’ (The Elixir of Love) by  G. Donizetti.

The second part of the concert opened with Maurice Ravel's elabirate piano concerto No.1 in G major performed by Jong Do An (Korea), whom critics call one of the leading pianists of his generation. The evening concluded with the performance of Elisa Cho, soprano from South Korea, who presented to the audience Margarita’s aria from opera ‘Faust’ by C. Gounod, Cavatina di Norma from opera ‘Norma’ by V. Bellini, and Aria Chio-Chio-san from opera ‘Madama Butterfly’ by G. Puccini.