The octet was among the first to be lured abroad by
fame and fortune after perestroika.
The Philharmonic Octet, which has just completed a hugely-successful tour of America, will be playing works by Glinka and Stravinsky at the Yusupov Palace on Saturday. In Soviet times, all eight musicians were members of the world-famous Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, which was conducted by great maestros such as Mravinsky and Temirkanov.
With the artistic thaw which followed perestroika, the musicians spurned the Philharmonic in favor of pastures new in the West.
And, no doubt to the horror of the local music world, the octet featured some of the most talented virtuosi of the day.
First violin Lev Klychkov, who won undying acclaim at the 1982 All-Russian Competition of Violinists, is also well-known for his solo performances.
The ensemble includes two Distinguished Artists of Russia -- the highest musical accolade in the country -- Valentin Karlov (clarinet) and Oleg Talypin (bassoon).
The other members of the octet are Sergei Azizyan (second violin), Vladimir Ivanov (viola), Sergei Chernyadyev, (cello), Yuri Akimkin (french horn) and Alexei Ivanov (contrabass).
The venue for Saturday's concert is one of the most impressive in St Petersburg.
The Yusupov Palace, built more than 230 years ago, once belonged to the Princes Yusupov, who for five generations were among the richest and most influential noblemen in Russia.
The palace is notorious as the place where Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian monk who became the hated favorite of Tsar Nicholas, was assassinated by a band of jealous courtiers. History relates that Felix Yusupov, the heir to the Yusupov title, masterminded the bloody crime.
The small rococo theater in which the concert will take place was designed according to the European model.
It's hard to believe today that a German shell crashed through the ceiling and landed not far from the Tsar's box during World War Two. Thankfully the bomb failed to detonate and it was removed from the building in 1946.
Repeated German air-raids destroyed around a third of the palace, but it has undergone a complete restoration and is open to the public during the day.
Visitors can enjoy a rich combination of architectural styles: the solemn Russian Empire design of the parade halls, the sophisticated oak paneling in the family dining room, the airy apartments of Princess Zinaida Nikolayevna and the Oriental decor in the Moresque reception room. The palace library houses a vast collection of rare books including volumes bearing the signature of Tsar Nicholas and Vladimir Nabokov, the father of the famous writer.