Thanks to the State Department’s cultural exchange program, San-Francisco based rock-n-roll band The Spyrals headlined the International Music Festival – Spring Beat – that took place in Chelyabinsk, Russia February 28 – March 1, 2015.  More than ten bands participated and more than 2,000 rock-n-rollers of all ages attended the shows.  Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Lynn Tracy  from the U.S. Embassy Moscow introduced the American artists to the South Urals public.  In her remarks, Ms. Tracy stressed the importance of maintaining and expanding cultural dialog between nations for the benefit of peace and mutual understanding.  The young and talented musicians of The Spyrals were enthusiastically received by Russian audiences at the various venues of the festival, including South Urals Institute of Arts named after Tchaikovskiy, Chelyabinsk’s exuberant Prokofyev Hall, a Community Center in the smaller town of Kopeysk where Americans played together with the popular local band Kopeysk Retro, and the Chelyabinsk Specialized English School #1 where students fired questions at the band on all possible topics.  After each concert the public was eager to talk to the U.S. musicians and take pictures.  The Americans were equally charmed by the local hospitality, cultural diversity, and the natural beauty of the South Urals.

By U.S. Mission Russia | 3 March, 2015 | Topics: Yekaterinburg