Mikhail Blam's Violinist Ensemble

The Ensemble was organised in February 1970. At that time there were three violinists and one cellist in it. Mikhail Blam, a musician from the symphony orchestra of the Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Society was invited to lead the group.

The Ensemble first appeared on stage with two compositions - "The Poem" by Fibich and "The Serenade" by Schubert - at the Art Festival held in NETU on 20 April 1970. That was the beginning of intensive creative work - rehearsals, searching for new talented performers and selecting compositions to play.

1975 witnessed the appearance of a remarkable tradition - regular annual concerts to display the achievements of theEnsemble, its performing skills and mastery. In the same year, the Ensemble gave its first performance on tour in the city of Lvov at the invitation of the Lvov Polytechnical Institute. Mikhail Turich, who is now a famous conductor and the leader of the chamber orchestra of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Society, and Yuri Agranovsky from the Novosibirsk symphony orchestra were invited to participate in the tour to make a brighter impression on the audience.

The Ensemble was gradually expanding, with not only NETI students but also teachers, doctors and engineers being its performers, and there were twelve violinists in it when it went on tour to Leningrad in 1979. In the same year, the Ensemble was granted the title of "the People's collective".

In August 1982, the Ensemble had a remarkable tour in the Far East. The violinists gave 23 concerts.

In June 1985, the Ensemble took part in the Festival of Classical Music in Erevan where it became a prize- winner. Further followed tours in Tashkent, Riga, Tuapse, Mirny and Kuzbass.

The greatest accomplishment of the Ensemble dates back to December 1990 when it took part in the first All-Union contest of amateur symphony and chamber orchestras and wan the first prize.

The musicians will never forget their tour in the FRG. The tour began with an unpleasant incident. The customs officers in Germany did not let the musical instruments pass into the country and the tour was under threat of derangement. But the German side kindly provided the musicians with 25 violins. Germans who understand and feel music deeply followed the Siberian violinists around the country in order to listen to them over and over again.

After Germany was Greece. The musician had a hearty and cordial welcome and warm response there. The listeners thanked the violinists for their contribution to musical art and for the enjoinment and delight the audience received.

At the moment the Ensemble has 108 compositions in its repertoire. Both the so-called "popular" classical compositions such as "The Polonaise" by Oginsky, "The Waltz" by Ye. Doga, "Ave Maria" by Bach and Guno, and less known to the general public compositions by Bach, Verdi, Khachaturyan, Babadzhanyan and other composers are played by the musicians .At the concerts given by the Ensemble the audience is fully captivated and carried away by their music. Every performance is always a great joy and pleasure for the audience and the musicians themselves.

In 1990, NSTU celebrated two anniversaries - the jubilee of the University and the 30th anniversary of the Ensemble of Violinists under the direction of Mikhail Blam, honoured cultural worker of Russia.

We thank the Ensemble for their devotion to good music and for the delight and enjoyment the musicians inspire in their listeners. We congratulate them on the anniversary and wish them new successes and accomplishments.