Report on the 45th ESTA International Conference
The ESTA International Conference was held in Kazan from 26th to 30th May 2017. This was the first time that an event of the European String Teachers Association had been held in the Russian Federation. The Conference was supported by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov. The principal sponsor was Thomastik-Infeld Vienna (Austria).
Number of participating countries of Europe and the USA – 20.
Number of participating regions of the Russian Federation – 12.
Number of European participants – 91
Number of Russian participants (including Tatarstan) – 95.
Total number of participants and visitors at the conference events (including groups) – more than 1000 people.
The project involved 5 educational institutions:
Institute of Additional Professional Education (IDPO): registration was held here; also a number of presentations, masterclasses and interactive workshops.
Kazan State Conservatory hosted concerts by soloists and chamber ensembles from the Conservatory and the Secondary Special Music School; the concert by Damir Hamidullin (Slovenia); open lessons with conservatory teachers.
Kazan Music School (college) hosted masterclasses, presentations, and concerts by groups from Samara, Cheboksary, Izhevsk.
Children’s Music School №1 hosted presentations on methodological developments by teachers from the Music Schools of Kazan, and lectures by specialists from Norway, Ukraine, Sweden.
Children’s Music School №5 hosted lectures by specialists from St.Petersburg, Great Britain, Austria. The day ended with a performance by the Italian violinist Mauro Tortorelli. The Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan also gave a concert here.
In addition to these educational institutions, the Saydashev State Great Concert Hall was used for the evening concerts:
on 27th May for a concert by the Tatarstan State Symphony Orchestra;
on 28th May for a concert by the “Kibardin Quartet” (from Germany) with a programme of Russian tangos and Piazzolla;
on 29th May for a concert by the Kazan chamber orchestra “La Primavera”, with violin soloist Graf Murzha (from Moscow), playing a programme of Paganini and Piazzolla.
On the last day of the conference there was an excursion by boat to the island of Sviyazhsk. The guests had an opportunity to visit museums and churches on the island, and listen to the Bishop’s choir.
