London/ Miami, April 24, 2007 -- Russian Rhapsody is firmly established as an extraordinary evening of charity, music and fine dining. Presenting outstanding musical talent in a breathtaking London venue. Russian Rhapsody has become a key date in London’s social calendar. This year, and for the very first time, organizers announced that funds raised during the Russian Rhapsody Gala will support the Naked Heart Foundation - supermodel Natalia Vodianova’s children’s charity, and Ms Vodianova herself was one of many celebrity guests at this traditionally exclusive VIP event.
To reflect the work of the Naked Heart Foundation, at the centre of the event was the charity auction of stylised playground items created especially for the Rhapsody Gala by the world’s most renowned fashion and beauty icons. Valentino, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, John Galliano, Lacroix and Givenchy - all designed limited edition haute-couture toys for this unique auction. The auction pieces included beautiful rocking horses, stunning dolls, a puppet theatre and a gorgeous garden swing.
Russian Rhapsody was first launched as a dramatic curtain raiser to the Russian Economic Forum, which brings over 2000 delegates to London, to explore the growing impact of Russian business on the world economy. While providing a valuable social net-working opportunity for Forum participants, Russian Rhapsody has become a well-respected cultural event in its own right and is frequented every year in higher numbers by Russians, Londoners and guests from around the world. In the six years of its existence, it has delivered a glittering array of top class musicians to some of London's most prestigious venues and evoked a truly Russian atmosphere in both spirit and scale. Leading international musical stars who took part in the event in previous years have included the likes of Yuri Bashmet, Lyuba Kazarnovskaya, Dmitry Bertman, Olga Borodina, Victor Tretiakov, Zurab Sotkilava and Igor Butman.
This year, Russian Rhapsody reached new heights and transformed for one night only London’s most exclusive dining room and concert hall into a spectacle for all senses. Old Billingsgate, on the banks of the River Thames with stunning views of riverside London saw an incredible array of performance by Denis Matsuev, one of the world’s greatest classical pianists, cellist Borislav Strulev, The New London Children’s Choir as well as guests from international business, finance, media and the arts. Russian Rhapsody 2007 was a powerful social and business networking occasion, partly sponsored by CHI Tower Miami (http://www.ChiTowerMiami.com), one of the most luxurious residences in the world.
