"How to Listen to Russian Music" by Anna Vilenskaya

How to Listen to Russian Music

Over two hours, we’ll explore Russian music beyond clichés and the idea of a mysterious “Russian soul”. Instead, we’ll ask: who created this music, why, and for whom?

From ancient sacred chants and the search for a distinctly Russian musical language, we’ll trace the journey through Tchaikovsky, Modernism and the Soviet era — exploring the influence of folk traditions, European culture, ideology, censorship and history. We’ll then turn to music being created and heard in Russia today, looking at how historical and Soviet legacies, national identity and contemporary realities continue to shape its sound.

This is not simply a lecture about Russian music, but a masterclass in how to listen to it — and how music can reveal the society and history behind it.

Anna Vilenskaya  is a Russian musicologist, lecturer, composer, and founder of the "Open Music Lecture Hall" project. She was a nominee in the "Music" category of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2022.

Photos from previous lectures

What Anna’s lectures are like