Anatoli Štšura (Estonia)

Anatoly Shchura (Anatoli Štšura) was born in 1960 in the Smolensk region. In 1990 he graduated from the composition department of the Belarusian State Conservatory, class of Professor Yevgeny Glebov. On the recommendation of Alfred Schnittke, in December 1990 he was admitted to the Union of Composers of the USSR. Today he is a member of the Union of Composers of Russia, Smolensk branch. In 1991-92, Anatoly Shchura was director of the chamber orchestra of the Smolensk Regional Philharmonic. In November 1992 he moved to Estonia. In 1994, on the basis of a chamber ensemble of teachers and graduates of the Narva Music School, he created a symphony orchestra, which he still directs. In February 1998, by decision of the Narva City Assembly, the orchestra received the status of a city symphony orchestra. In February 1998, for the creation of the team, the Government of Estonia, Anatoly Shchur, was granted Estonian citizenship for special merits.

On the initiative of Anatoli Štšura and with the participation of the orchestra, such cultural projects as the International Music Festival named after E. Mravinsky, the Republican Youth Competition of an Instrumental Concert, public outdoor concerts, charity concerts were implemented.

Anatoli Štšura is the author of an innovative stage version of A. Pushkin's story "The Snowstorm" and musical illustrations for it by G. Sviridov. The musical performance with the participation of the actor of the Russian Drama Theater in Estonia, Eduard Toman, was broadcast on the republican radio and television, twice recorded on CD, as well as recorded on the Kultura TV channel of the Russian state television.

In 1996-2001, Anatoli Štšura studied symphony conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music in the class of Professor Roman Matsov. Participated in master courses by Jorma Panula. Toured in Russia, Finland, Poland, Germany, Latvia. Conducted the orchestras of the Szczecin Philharmonic and the Zielona Gora Philharmonic (Poland), the Smolensk Chamber Orchestra. In March 2005, with the Zielona Góra Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Poland), he took part in the International Music Festival "Days of Music over the Oder" with concerts in Zielona Góra and Frankfurt am Oder. Since 2006 he has been regularly collaborating with the Veliky Novgorod Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Concerts with this group were held in Narva, Tallinn and Sillamäe (Estonia), as part of the International Music Festival named after Evgenyi Mravinsky, as well as in the concert seasons of the Novgorod Philharmonic. In collaboration with the Ensemble of Soloists of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic from 2012 to 2016, he annually performed in the programs of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic with the participation of world jazz stars.

Winner of the Kultuurkapital Foundation Prize for the Popularization of Classical Music and the Ida-Virumaa Pearl of Culture Prize. In February 2008, the President of the Republic of Estonia awarded Anatoli Štšura the Order of the White Star of the 5th degree. In March 2016, by decision of the Narva City Assembly, Anatoli Štšura was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Narva.