In this short scene, the audience is introduced to the young conductor and his students. The audience is impressed by the conductor's ability to play the piano and his mastery of the written word. The students are also impressed by his ability to communicate the meaning of the music through gestures and words. As the music continues to play, they are interrupted by the arrival of a message from the orchestra. The message is from the "rus" orchestra, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.