The school's brightest students and graduates will take to a stage constructed on Tverskoi Bulvar in the center of the city.
"We want classical music to be played not only in philharmonics," said Mikhail Khokhlov, director of the Gnessin college. "We want it to be closer to people who tend to think it's boring."
Khokhlov argued that, for some reason, there is a stereotype that philharmonics are an elite place. There is also a certain snobbery among some musicians, he said, who think that classical music is an art for the chosen ones.
"We will show listeners that classical music is not prim and boring. It will be performed not by experienced professionals but by our peers, young musicians. This will have a good impression on the listeners," he said.
Organizers hope that seeing young musicians perform will boost the popularity of musical education, which is struggling to get students even though its advantages, said Khokhlov, are "hard to overrate."
"The number of talented people doesn't decrease, but the interest of parents does," he said. "Many think that academic education is more stable. However, our future musicians' perspectives are quite optimistic. Our graduates are in demand, and they work equally well in Russia and abroad."
The bank HSBC Russia is sponsoring the concerts.
Stuart Lawson, CEO for HSBC Russia, first heard students from the Gnessin college 12 years ago at a concert in the State Conservatory and was deeply impressed by both the music and skills of the pupils. "I had never heard anything like it," he said. "I knew immediately that I wanted to hear more."
Gnessin college is Russia's most famous musical college with a century-old history.
It gave a start to many internationally recognized musicians such as pianist Yevgeny Kissin and Alexander Rudi, the conductor of Moscow Musical Viva chamber orchestra.
The concerts will mainly consist of classical music as well as jazz compositions and tango.
"Concerts Under the Open Sky" will take place on Tverskoi Bulvar (near Nikitskiye Vorota) June 11 to 14. June 11 at 8 p.m. June 12 to 14 at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Admission is free. Openconcert.ru
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