The result of the first two seasons of the Aksenov Family Foundation programme, the music album titled Russian Music 2.0/2.1, was released on all major digital platforms on October 14, 2022.
This album is a landmark for Russian academic music. It is the result of AFF’s collaboration with the FANCYMUSIC record label, a key Russian music publisher promoting contemporary music of various genres.
The album consists of two parts. It includes seven pieces of music that have won the Russian Music 2.0 programme, performed by the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble and the Questa Musica ensemble. As well as eight pieces created as part of the Russian Music 2.1 programme a year after, performed by the MCME and the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra led by Fyodor Lednev.
Dmitry Aksenov
founder of Aksenov Family Foundation:
Our Foundation since long has been actively supporting music initiatives such as, for instance, musicAeterna and Teodor Currentzis projects, and the Russian Friends of Salzburg Festival. Last year we launched “Russian Music 2.0” programme to support Russian composers, lay foundation for an ecosystem of new academic music and integrate it into global context. The initiative turned out to be successful and set the trend for commissioning new music to modern authors. This “Russian Music 2.1” is supported by leading art institutions such as Moscow Philharmonic and Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Our programme brings back Russian composers who are working abroad and showcases diverse music created by talents of different age groups”.
Each year an international expert council, including recognised professionals from different areas of the musical arts, selects eight laureates. The winners receive a grant from the foundation – akin to an honorarium for the composition which will be created as part of the project.
Sergei Nevsky
our expert panel member:
"Russian Music 2.1" is a closed competition. First, each expert panel member makes a recommendation of four candidates. From this, a longlist of about 20–28 names is formed. Following this, recent music recordings and scores by the candidates are uploaded to a special digital archive, and experts have three weeks to get acquainted in detail with the work of each candidate. Finally, the experts meet again and vote to choose top eight composers. There is always a waiting list in case one of the selected composers refuses to participate in the programme”.
