# Wheelman Duo Brings the Bolshoi Tradition Into a New Era of Couture Crossover > Yuri and Ksenia Wheelman unite classical discipline, cinematic sound and visual storytelling at La Dolce Vita in Venice VENICE, ITALY — 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 Some artistic partnerships are born in record… - Source: India Max - Canonical URL: https://indiamax.net/article/wheelman-duo-brings-the-bolshoi-tradition-into-a-new-era-of-couture-crossover - Author: Alisia Born - Section: Culture - Published: 2026-09-02T09:33:00.061Z - Updated: 2026-09-02T09:33:00.061Z - Tags: Wheelman Duo - Hindi edition: https://indiamax.net/hi/article/wheelman-duo-brings-the-bolshoi-tradition-into-a-new-era-of-couture-crossover --- Yuri and Ksenia Wheelman unite classical discipline, cinematic sound and visual storytelling at La Dolce Vita in Venice VENICE, ITALY — 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 Some artistic partnerships are born in recording studios or shaped by producers; the story of Yuri and Ksenia Wheelman began within the demanding artistic tradition of the Bolshoi Theatre. Today, Wheelman Duo transforms that classical foundation into a distinctly contemporary performance language. Through Lumière and their signature Couture Crossover, the duo combines two powerful voices with cinematic repertoire, movement, visual storytelling and a highly considered sense of atmosphere. On 11 September, this distinctive artistic vocabulary will arrive at Ca’ Sagredo for La Dolce Vita, the Royal Gentlemen Gala Dinner and Congress Awards held during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Their approach treats every performance as a bespoke creation, shaped around its location, audience and occasion rather than confined to the conventions of a traditional concert. The connection between Wheelman Duo and cinema is particularly natural in Venice. Their repertoire draws on the emotional power of iconic film music, while their performances use the same vocabulary that makes cinema compelling: voice, image, movement, atmosphere and timing. Their international appearances have taken them to Monte-Carlo, Cannes, Capri and Lake Como, among other distinguished destinations. Their work also extends beyond performance through Echo of the Ocean, an audiovisual project developed as Art Ambassadors of Blue Alliance Monaco, bringing together music, visual imagery, artificial intelligence and ocean protection. In Venice, a city whose history and future are inseparable from water, that artistic and environmental dimension acquires an especially powerful resonance. The musical programme at La Dolce Vita will create a wider dialogue between different traditions. Award-winning soprano Alina Zamalieva, recipient of more than 15 international honours, will bring the grandeur of European opera, drawing on a career that includes the Covent Garden Opera Competition with the London City Philharmonic, First Prize at the VI International Music Festival in Vienna and studies at the Belcanto Academy with legendary soprano Mirella Freni. Rezeda Kalimullina will introduce soul, jazz and pop, building on 25 years of stage experience and artistic mentorship from multiple Grammy-nominated vocalist, pianist and composer Karen Edwards, who has performed with Stevie Wonder, Prince and Tony Bennett. Together, the artists create a programme in which opera, crossover and contemporary popular music can occupy the same Venetian stage. The audience reflects an equally international vision. Eric Adams, the 110th Mayor of New York City from 2022 to 2025, will join Laurent Anselmi, President of the Monaco Sea Academy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and later Chief of Staff to H.S.H. Prince Albert II. Egyptian actress Caroline Azmi will represent contemporary cinema and television, while Massimiliano Giobergia, General Manager of Cosmetic Tailors, the principal private-label division of BEAUTICON VALLEY, brings the perspective of international beauty. Lidia Weber, Director of Special Projects at Oliver Weber Collection, will represent the Austrian jewellery house as Official Jewellery Partner with its Dolce Vita Collection created with Swarovski crystals. The international circle will also include Alisa Roever, founder of Angels Helpers Foundation, and media and entertainment entrepreneur Al Kash, whose projects span publishing, production, talent management, modelling and luxury events. The evening is created by Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony of Royal Gentlemen Club together with Anna Stukkert, founder and president of the Congress Awards. Since 2016, the Congress Awards network has brought together more than 4,000 participants from 29 countries through events in Munich, Berlin, Monaco, Paris, Cannes and Davos, with its 20th edition celebrated in Cannes in 2026. For Wheelman Duo, La Dolce Vita represents the ideal setting for their Couture Crossover philosophy: a historic Venetian palace during one of the world’s most visible weeks for cinema, surrounded by figures from diplomacy, business, fashion, philanthropy and culture.  At Ca’ Sagredo, music will not simply occupy the stage — it will become part of the architecture, atmosphere and story of the entire evening. ROYAL GENTLEMEN GALA DINNER AND CONGRESS AWARDSLa Dolce Vita | Venice Friday, 11 September 2026 | 6.30 pmCa’ Sagredo Hotel, Venice | Black Tie Royal Gentlemen Club | Thomas Misse and Marek Harmony | Congress Awards founded by Anna Stukkert | Official Jewellery Partner Oliver Weber Collection One Life to Live with Style. Press Contact: info@royalgentlemen.fr --- Originally published by India Max. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://indiamax.net/article/wheelman-duo-brings-the-bolshoi-tradition-into-a-new-era-of-couture-crossover.