Lt. Gen. Valery Khalilov, former chief conductor and senior director of music of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia, is visiting UGA until Nov. 16, sitting in on classes, working with students, conducting ensemble performances and taking in the Classic City.
Khalilov, who composes as well as conducts, is internationally recognized as Russia’s most distinguished military band and orchestra conductor. He holds the title of Honored Artist of Russia and has conducted performances in many countries throughout the world, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Lebanon, Mongolia, Poland, Finland, France, Switzerland and Sweden.
Khalilov has overseen the music for many spectacular events in Moscow. In 2010, he conducted a massed band of more than 1,200 musicians at the Victory Parade in Red Square. At the conclusion of the event, he led a performance that included bands from the U.S., Great Britain and France.
Since 2007, Khalilov has been the music director of the International Military Music Festival at Spasskaya Tower in Red Square. The two-week festival draws an audience of approximately 100,000 people each year and has featured more than 140 performing groups from 40 countries during its 10-year history.
Khalilov’s visit, which began Nov. 9, is a multi-faceted tour of the university, including educational opportunities with School of Music students, performances with the UGA Symphony Orchestra and Hodgson Wind Ensemble, which will perform three of Khalilov’s own works in a Nov. 15 concert at 8 p.m. in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. Tickets for the concert are $6 for UGA students and $12 for everyone else.
