The Russian Festival Choir grew out of the Boston Russian Chorus as a result of the first International Rachmaninoff Festival of Russian Music, held in Boston in June, 2010 under Irina Shachneva’s artistic direction. The festival itself was the brainchild …
Musicians
Irina Shachneva, Founder and Artistic Director
For more than a quarter of a century, Irina Shachneva has enlightened the world as a musician, director, and pedagogue. An alumna of the Glinka (Gorky) State Conservatory of Nizhnij Novgorod and the Penza Music School, Irina studied with professor …
The Boston Russian Chorus
The Boston Russian Chorus was formed by Irina Shachneva in 1997. The Chorus is the only continuously existing group in the Boston area, which regularly performs the best examples of Russian Orthodox liturgical music, classical and modern Russian compositions, as …
Yevgenia Semeina–Maroyan, organist
Yevgenia Semeina studied organ and piano performance at the St. Petersburg Conservatory’s Special Music School with professors D. Zarezkij (organ), and N. Ushakova (piano). In 2000 she was admitted to the Master of Music program at the Longy School of …
Alexander Prokhorov, bass–baritone
Alexander Prokhorov, originally from Russia, now lives in Boston and performs with local opera companies. Alexander has been described as a “true deep bass with tones, that immediately astonished with their midnight-dark, chasm depth of richness and powerful timber… a …
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Andrey Nemzer was born on Septemper 26, 1982 in Moscow (Russia). In his early childhood he studied piano and clarinet. In 1989 Andrey entered the A.V. Sveshnikov Moscow Choir College and started singing in the College boys’ choir (first as …
Stephen Humeston, bass–baritone
Stephen Humeston is a bass–baritone from Rhode Island who currently lives in Boston and performs throughout the New England. Stephen completed his undergraduate degree in vocal performance at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts in 2006 and has since appeared in …
Olga Patramanska-Bell, violin
Olga Patramanska-Bell was born and raised in Ukraine, where she received her musical education. After finishing her Bachelor’s degree at the R.M. Glier Kyiv State Higher Music College and spending a few years at the National Musical Academy of Ukraine, …
Julia Steinbok, soprano
Soprano Julia Steinbok’s versatility and unique musical presence have made her increasingly sought after on the concert, recital, and operatic stage. Her interpretation of Renaissance and Baroque works has met with critical acclaim: the Washington Times praised her “breathtaking expertise” …
Maria Lyudko, soprano
Ms. Lyudko graduated from the Rimsky–Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory with honors majoring in musicology and voice. She received further training at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart and at the Mariinsky Theater’s Academy of Young Opera Singers. She participated …
Georges Devdariani, clarinet
Born in Leningrad, Mr. Devdariani graduated from the Rimsky–Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory with honors majoring in clarinet performance. He continued his studies at Royal Flemish Music Conservatory in Antwerp and later at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, graduating …
The chorus Elegia
The Moscow chorus “Elegia” was formed in 1992 by Tatiana Dimitriyeva, a graduate of the children’s choral school “Vesna” (Spring). Former pupils of “Vesna” and a few members of the chamber chorus “Vitrazhi” were the founding members of “Elegia”. Today …
Marina Alekseyeva
Marina Alekseyeva — the director and the conductor of chorus “Elegia“. Ms. Alekseyeva is a graduate of the children’s choral school “Vesna”. Following graduation, she started teaching there and continues to do so to this day. She received her Bachelor of …
Men’s Vocal Ensemble Kovcheg
The male vocal ensemble “KOVCHEG” (The Ark) was formed by graduates of the Glinka Gorky State Conservatory (Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia) in 1991. The city of Uglich, in the Yaroslavl region, became the young group’s home base. The ensemble KOVCHEG became …
Dina Kuznetsova, soprano
Russian–American soprano Dina Kuznetsova has attracted the attention of the world’s major opera companies for her outstanding musicianship and compelling stage presence. Ms. Kuznetsova’s 2010/2011 season has been highlighted by her greatly acclaimed portrayal of the title role in Dvořák’s …
Yuri Kordonskiy
Yuri Kordonsky studied acting and directing in Russia, at the St. Petersburg State Academy of Theatre Arts. He has taught, performed, and directed internationally since 1989. As a performer and director, he toured in more than 20 countries and conducted …
Vassily Primakov, piano
In recent years, Vassily Primakov has been hailed as a pianist of world class importance. Gramophone wrote that “Primakov’s empathy with Chopin’s spirit could hardly be more complete,” and the American Record Guide stated: “Since Gilels, how many pianists have …
Zoya Shereshkova, cello
Cellist Zoya Shereshkova was born in Russia, where she studied at the State Academic Music College and the Maimonides Classical State Academy. She is a laureate of the 3rd Youth Cellists competition in 1999 in Moscow, Russia, and the 2005 …
Natalia Lavrova, piano
Natalia Lavrova is a highly-regarded performer of multi-faceted artistry, whose sincerity of interpretation and beguiling charm upon the stage has won the hearts of audiences across the United States and Europe. Ms. Lavrova enjoys a diverse career upon the international …
The Würzburg Youth Orchestra
The Würzburg Youth Orchestra consists of students of the independent Waldorf School and the Grunewald Music High School, both located in Würzburg. All take private lessons and have performed in numerous concerts. In May 2011, the pupils of the independent …
Chamber orchestra, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
The history of the orchestra started in 1981 when professor Semion Yaroshevich set up a chamber orchestra within the precincts of the Nizhniy Novgorod Conservatoire. In 1990 the orchestra was headed by Sophia Propischan, Chair of the Faculty of The …
Blagovest Male choral ensemble
The word “blagovest” means the prolonged ringing of church bells or chimes — literally means the announcing something good. “Blagovest” was founded in 1991 for the purpose of singing services as a male choir at Annunciation Monastery (Blagoveshchneskii Monastir) in Nizhny …
Lev Pankratov
Artistic director and conductor of the men’s choral ensemble “Blagovest” Distinguished Artist of Russia Professor of choral conducting at M.I. Glinka Nizhegorod State Conservatory (Academy) Composer of new music, arrangements for choir, arrangements of Russian folk songs During his undergraduate …
Alexei Doohovskoy
Alexei Doohovskoy is an active New England area trombonist and music educator. He has performed with the Boston Symphony and Pops Orchestras, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Boston Lyric Opera, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Springfield Symphony, and the …
The Rachmaninoff Festival Choir of America
The Rachmaninoff Festival Choir is a unique ensemble. Although a few of its singers are semi-professional choristers, most are amateurs — some highly experienced and long-dedicated to choral singing, some young and upcoming. Some are from greater Boston, but many …
Olga France
Anna Chein
Vadim Gan
Larisa Filipenco, soprano
Larisa Filipenco, soprano, was born in the USA to Ukrainian–Russian parents. She studied piano, violin and voice from an early age. She graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in music, and with a passion for opera and Russian romances. …
Sonja Bruzauskas
Praised for her “captivating performance”,“entrancing vocal line” and “youthful vigor”, German Mezzo Soprano Sonja Bruzauskas “enraptures audiences” throughout the United States and the world. Sonja has appeared with the Staatsoperette Dresden, Volkstheater Rostock, Nordharzer Staedtebundtheater, Filmorchester Babelsberg, Bochumer Symphoniker, Baton Rouge …
Donna Stoering
Donna Stoering is an internationally-renowned musician, recording artist, Marshall Scholar, keynote speaker and performance coach at the world’s major conservatories who began giving public concerts (as a pianist) at the age of five and first sang on television at the …
Olga Lisovskaya, soprano
Olga Lisovskaya has been hailed by critics as “the wonderful coloratura soprano…” with “…flexibility to caress the highest range notes” and “superb breath control”. Most recently, Ms. Lisovskaya sang the role of Serpina with the Boston Vocal Arts Studio and …
Sergei Khanukaev
Sergey Khanukaev, born in Russia, began his higher musical studies in 1969 at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he studied piano and musicology with such outstanding musicians as Edison Denissov and Tovy Logovinsky. He continued as a postgraduate student at …
David Gvinianidze, baritone
David Gvinianidze (tenor) — president and artistic director of the fund “Talents of the World”. Born December 3, 1977 in the country of Georgia, David graduated with high honors from the M. Paniashvili Musical Academy in Tblisi. As a second year …
Danute Mileika, mezzo-soprano
DANUTE MILEIKA made her operatic debut as Maddalena in Verdi’s “Rigoletto“, she has demonstrated her versatility in a wide variety of parts, Mrs. Page in “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, La Zia Principessa in “Suor Angelica”, and La Ciesca in …
Juventas
Juventas New Music Ensemble voices the musical culture of the present by featuring repertoire of composers age 35 and under. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the ensemble has seven core musicians augmented with guest artists to form a wide array of …
Lidiya Yankovskaya
As a conductor, Lidiya Yankovskaya’s experience includes work with opera companies, symphonic orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choruses. Currently, Lidiya serves as Music Director of Juventas New Music Ensemble (a professional contemporary music ensemble in residency at The Boston Conservatory), Assistant Conductor …
Tatjana Masurova
Tatjana Masurova was born into a musical family in Russia and studied music from an early age. She is a graduate of the Glinka Gorky State Conservatory (Nizhni Novgorod, Russia) with an MM in choral conducting. She also attended a …
Vladimir Plaskin
Rachel Gawell, cello
Cellist Rachel Gawell hails from Maryland, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Peabody Conservatory in the studio of David Hardy. She pursued graduate studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory in Holland. A specialist in chamber and contemporary music, Ms. Gawell …
Yuliana Voznesenskaya-Fedorova, piano
Yuliana Voznesenskaya-Fedorova was born in St.Petersburg, to a family of musicians. In 1993, she successfully finished the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg Conservatory majoring in piano under the tutelage of Prof. Elena Shishko. By the time she graduated, she had won the …
Adam Klein
American tenor Adam Klein made an important debut in 2010 as Tristan in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE with Seattle Opera in a season which also included performances as the title role in FAUST with Opera Memphis, Loge DAS RHEINGOLD with Indianapolis …
Yelena Dudochkin
Yelena Dudochkin, soprano, burst onto the opera scene as “a welcome change of pace.” She debuted with Opera Boston as Podtochina’s Daughter in the New England premier of TheNose in February 2009 with great success, and won First Prize in …
Zhanna Alkhazova
Russian-American soprano, Zhanna Alkhazova, is known for her sizable voice with a warm and distinguishable color. Ms. Alkhazova’s operatic credits include Musetta in La Bohème, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, First and Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Berta in Il …
David Wadden, bass
David Wadden graduated from Amherst College in 2010 with a degree in physics. He began pursuing opera when he moved to Boston last year. This past summer he participated in the Cambridge Summer Opera program, where he performed in scenes …
Daniel Kamalic, tenor
DANIEL KAMALIC has been praised for his “exciting, tremendous force and burnished tonal quality” (Larry Kellum, The Town Times) in his performances last season as Canio and Rinuccio in Connecticut Lyric Opera’s double bill of Pagliacci and Gianni Schicchi. Mr. …
Elias Notus, bass-baritone
Since making his professional debut in 2010, bass-baritone Elias Notus has added eleven roles to his repertoire. Among the most recent are Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Bartolo in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Ramfis in Verdi’s Aïda. Equally at …
The Holy Trinity Seminary Choir
The Holy Trinity Seminary Choir is a five-member choir consisting of students of the Holy Trinity Seminary, Jordanville, New York. The choir was formed in 2009 under the direction of Michael Perekrestov for the purpose of sharing the Holy Trinity …