From 15 to 24 February 2013, Sochi hosted the 6th Winter International Arts Festival under the artistic direction of Yuri Bashmet. For the past six years Winter International Arts Festival in Sochi brought together leading Russian and foreign musicians, artists, filmmakers and art agents. The long list of globally renowned performers of 2013 included soloists of the Grand Opera (Paris), the Maly Drama Theatre of Lev Dodin, Chucho Valdes, Sir James Galway, Angelika Kirchshlager, Massimo Quarta, Olli Mustonen, Trio Wanderer, soloists of Vienna State Opera and Vienna Volksoper theatre and many others. The Grammy Award Winner of 2008 Chamber Ensemble "Moscow Soloists" and State Symphony Orchestra "Novaya Rossiya" (New Russia) are the resident orchestras of the festival. In addition to the music programme, the Festival held a number of charities and special events, recounting International video - art Competition "Echo - Eco", exhibition of paintings and graphics of Mikhail Shemyakin, exhibition for the 100th anniversary of the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture, master-classes of world famous musicians, winter session of the International Children's Chamber Orchestra, Session of the Studio of creative development of Konstantin Khabensky. Conference of Russian concert institutions was as well held in the frame of the Festival. The festival attracts close and constant attention to the central Russian and foreign mass media. The festival events were covered by more than 90 representatives of Russian and foreign mass media. The International Winter Arts Festival in Sochi is directly related to the Sochi pre-Olympic cultural programme. In 2009, during the 2nd Festival, Maestro Yuri Bashmet was granted the honorary title of Ambassador of Russian first ever Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games "Sochi - 2014". The Festival, representing all genres and art forms, is a prototype of the cultural programme of the Olympics in 2014 and during the Olympic Games will present the cultural sector in all its diversity. In 2011 the Festival became a full member of the European Festivals Association (EFA). The 7th Winter International Arts Festival in Sochi, under Artistic Director Yuri Bashmet, will be held from 6-22 February 2014. Contact: Artistic Director Yuri Bashmet Bolshaya Nikitskaya 46 121069 Moscow Tel. / Fax. +7 (495) 690-67-55