Russian violinist to visit South Africa.

In a few weeks' time the world-famous violinist Maxim Vengerov, a native of Novosibirsk, a town in Siberia, is due to arrive in South Africa. He will fly to Johannesburg as a UNICEF good-will envoy.

Vengerov will take part in rehearsals and classes with the South African national youth orchestra, as well as with musicians from the Alex Music Project from Alexandra, one of Johannesburg's "black" suburbs. He will also familiarize himself with the implementation of several UNICEF projects in South Africa's central province of Kgatleng, which are mainly connected with the all-round development of young people and giving them access to the eternal values of culture and art.

According to Michael Hankinson, chairman of the South African Musical Education Foundation, Vengerov's visit will give the local music lovers a unique chance to get acquainted with one of the most outstanding violinists of today.

Maxim Vengerov was born in Novosibirsk in 1974 and began his musical education at the age of 5. When he turned 10 he already began to win prizes at international young violinists' competitions, and later on added to his first junior prizes a great number of "adult" ones. He has performed as a soloist with the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.