Six 'Musical Wunderkind' Win Chance to Perform with Moscow Ballet's NUTCRACKER

Los Angeles - Edvard Pogossian and Moscow Ballet soloist present a special collaboration at the December 14 7:30pm performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker at the Wiltern...Cellist Edvard Pogossian won the inaugural L.A. Philharmonic Young Artists Competition and performed with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, led by Music Director Thomas Wilkins, in a private performance June 9 2011 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Wilkins comments, "I've had the pleasure of knowing Edvard, since he was a little bright eyed boy, coming to my youth concerts with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Having him as a soloist in Los Angeles, was therefore not only rather poetic, but in fact a pure joy. He has grown to become a tremendously gifted musician, with a great passion for music, and still the same bright eyes." Eddie has performed live on KUSC with the Colburn Chamber Orchestra, and has also performed Bartok String Quartet No.1 in the Colburn Honors Recital in Zipper Hall. He is a long time participant of the Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival in New Hampshire. Read more about Eddie.

Bethesda, Fairfax and N.P.C. - Fedor Ouspensky and Moscow Ballet soloist present special collaborations at National Press Club, Washington D.C. Dec 14; the December 16 7:30pm performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker at Strathmore Music Hall in Bethesda and at December 19 at GMU Concert Hall in Fairfax…Violoinist and child prodigy, Fedor Ouspensky has already won First Place in 11 competitions. Transplanted from Russia to Reston five years ago, Fedor's mother is a Bach International Music Competition winner, father Igor Zubkovsky, plays cello for the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center and Fedor's grandfather graduated from the St Petersburg Conservatory where Moscow Ballet holds an annual juried Visual Arts Competition.

At the age of 8 Fedor was first invited to perform with McLean Youth Symphony Orchestra, since then he appeared as a soloist performing concertos with Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, Bachanalia Chamber Orchestra in New York City and Capitol City Symphony in Washington D.C. Read more about Fedor.

Over 20 Years 50,000+ Children Receive Arts Enrichment – Moscow Ballet's 20th anniversary Great Russian Nutcracker celebrates the 50,000+ student dancers (an average of 50 students in 50 cities over 20 years time) who have performed along-side the Russian cast of 40 on annual North American tours. The commitment to deliver children's programming, in tandem with acclaimed ballet performances, began twenty years earlier when Moscow Ballet producers, then working with Connecticut Dance Theatre, invited Dance Theater of Harlem directors to work with their Hartford students. Among those dedicated students was Charmaine Hunter who went on to become star of Arthur Mitchell's Fire Bird. Other children's programming includes 1984 "Cynthia Gregory Celebration Tour" with the "Just Say No" campaign as it's official message and chaired by First Lady Nancy Reagan; Russian-Cultural Ballet program produced in museums and art institutions; "Cinderella Around the World" dance and literacy program; and "First International Glasnost Festival Tours" included symposiums, screenings, poetry readings, and more for students and public at Dartmouth, Yale, and other colleges. Today Moscow Ballet offers all children New Horizons – A Children's Program for Life addressing diet, exercise and creative expression through interactive experiences with Moscow Ballet dancers. For more information, visit www.nutcracker.com/support/history.

Moscow Ballet's 20th Anniversary Great Russian Nutcracker features 11 time award-winning principal dancer Olga Kifyak in her North American debut; new "Dove of Peace" choreography in which 2 dancers become one soaring bird – a feat that must be seen to be believed; company of 40 women and men; Christmas Tree that grows to 5 stories tall; playful 10' tall silk puppets; 200 all new, hand-made costumes; and falling snow.

Russian cultural elements include a Troika styled sleigh escorted by Ded Moroz (Father Christmas) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) and 9 hand-painted backdrops by Valentin Federov, set to Tchaikovsky's complete Nutcracker Suite score. For 20 years Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker performances have introduced the finest Russian ballerinas and danseurs to audiences across North America. Great Russian Nutcracker - 20 years of acclaim, 20 years of soaring holiday spirit!

Get more info on tour dates and more at www.nutcracker.com, and follow on Facebook or Twitter @MoscowBallet.

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