Sofia Asgatowna Gubaidulina's complete works include more than a hundred symphonic works, compositions for soloists, choir and orchestra, instrumental ensembles, music for theater, cinema, and animated films. She belonged to the generation of Alfred Schnittke and Edison Denisov, and her distinctive music employed wild, modernist gestures to create a lucid, expressive world.

In her youth, she received advice from Dmitri Shostakovich: "I wish for you to continue on your 'false' path." These words encouraged the young composer to remain true to her path, although this also led to various difficulties. In the 1970s, she was placed on the so-called "blacklist" in the Soviet Union along with six other composers because she produced "noisy mud instead of genuine musical innovation." After the spiritual and political turnaround around 1986, Sofia Gubaidulina finally gained more freedom. Since 1992, the composer has lived in Germany near Hamburg.

Born into a Tatar-Russian family, she had various religious influences. Her grandfather was a mullah, and Sofia was baptized Russian Orthodox at the age of 39. As a deeply spiritual person, Gubaidulina defined "re-ligio" as "re-legato" or the restoration of the connection between oneself and the Absolute: "There is no more important reason for composing music than spiritual restoration."

She is the recipient of numerous titles and awards, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and was inducted into the Order Pour le Mérite. She was a member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin, the Free Academy of Arts in Hamburg, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm. In 2018, she was appointed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences due to her film music works for the Soviet feature film "Vertikal" from 1967 and for the Swiss feature film "Mary Queen of Scots" from 2013, which annually awards the Oscars.

Memorial concert with:

Natalia Pschenitschnikova (RU/DE) – voice, flute

Mikhail Mordvinov (RU/DE) – piano

Dirk Wietheger (DE) – cello

Roman Yusipey (UA/DE) – bayan

Program:

· From the Visions of Hildegard of Bingen for alto solo (1994)

· Sonata for piano (1965)

· Ten preludes for cello solo (1974) (a selection)

· Roses for soprano and piano (1972)

· Chaconne for piano (1963)

· Sonatine for flute solo (1978)

· De Profundis for bayan solo (1978)

· Letter to the poetess Rimma Dalos for soprano and cello (1985)

· In Croce for cello and bayan (1991)

Admission: 18 € | 12 € reduced (for members of the In Situ Art Society: 12 € | 8 € reduced)