The Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre
Artists
Two Times Winner of The Russian National GOLDEN MASK Award
George ISAAKYAN
General Director
Opera Stage Director
George Isaakyan received his musical education at the Moscow State Academy of Theatre Art, which he graduated from in 1991. In the same year he joined the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre as an Opera Director, a position he held until 1996, when he was appointed Principal Director.
Mr. Isaakyan assumed Artistic Directorship in 2001. Since then he has distinguished himself as a highly efficient artistic leader and an imaginative creator of a variety of productions which were acclaimed as musical highlights: Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (winner of two National Golden Mask Awards in 1996), Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame (the Golden Mask Award in 1997), Verdi’s Rigoletto (1997), B. Britten’s Noye’s Fludde (1999), P. Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana (2000), etc. Also his career has taken him to major opera houses all over Russia and the former Soviet Union, including the Kirov Opera in St. Petersburg where he directed A. Borodin’s Prince Igor for the Kirov Opera Festival and which was presented at the Metropolitan Opera in 1998, the Moscow Helicon-opera with a world premiere of A. Skryabin’s Keistutes et Birute, Minsk Opera, Belarus, with La Bohéme and the Latvian National Opera in Riga with J. Strauss’s Die Fliedermaus.
He was also invited to stage his productions in a number of opera houses overseas, such as Madama Butterfly in Opera Ireland, Dublin, Don Carlo in Sakai-city Opera, Osaka, Japan, and others.
George Isaakyan is the author of numerous important cultural projects (the most recent the renowned Diaghilev Festival) and the winner of many national and international prizes and awards including the highest in Russian culture State Premium of the Russian Federation granted him for his grand project Pushkin in Opera. He received the Fyodor Volkov Award for distinguished contributions to the theatrical arts in Russia (2005). In October 2006 he was honored for his services to the arts.
As a director of vast scope, Mr. Isaakyan is inspired by original works rarely performed both in Russia and abroad. His most renowned productions include J. Massenet’s Cleopatre and Cinderella, Lolita based on V. Nabokov’s novel to the music by the contemporary composer Rodion Schedrin and G. Handel’s Alcina, which is a breakthrough in the field of early music so rarely performed in Russia, a new version of G. Bizet’s Carmen, Dvorak’s Rusalka and Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta .
Mr. Isaakyan’s production of Mazeppa made its impressive and highly acclaimed debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at New York, USA, in January 2008. He also achieved recognition of the American public and critics for presenting the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre Gala Concert Program in Carnegie Hall featuring selections from Tchaikovsky popular and rarely performed music, and was praised “for the concert’s impeccable organization.” (New York, USA, January 2008). The Russian premieres of C. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and A. Rubinstein’s Christus have once again earned George Isaakyan a reputation of innovative director. The major Russian newspaper Kultura named him “Stage Director of the Year” (December 2007).
G. Isaakyan’s new production of One Day in GULAG based on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s story “One Day of Ivan Denisovich” is the company’s homage to all victims of political repressions. Its Perm and world premiere is part of the 2009 Diaghilev Festival devoted to the centenary of the Diaghilev Russian Seasons in Paris.
After graduating from the Ural State Conservatory of Ekaterinburg in 1982, Valery started his career in the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre. Since then he has guest conducted in major opera houses all over the former Soviet Union. He has also conducted ballet performances in Germany, the Czech Republic, the USA, Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
In 1992, he became principal conductor of the Bashkiria State Opera and Ballet Theatre. He staged and conducted Carmen, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème, Pique Dame, Faust and several operas based on the national Bashkir folklore, in addition to the whole range of ballets. He has acted as the Musical Director of such Opera Festivals as ‘Shaliapin Evenings in UFA’, ‘Irina Arkhipova presents…’ and a festival of ballet in memory of Rudolf Nureyev.
Valery PLATONOV
Music Director, Principal Conductor
Mr.Platonov’s repertoire features more than 60 opera and ballet scores and 30 symphonic and chorus programs. While he is particularly fond of the contemporary classics of Shostakovich, Britten, Prokofiev and Shnittke, he admits that he is strongly attracted by symphony music containing deep philosophical thought.
In 2001 Valery Platonov re-joined the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre to assume the post of Music Director and Principal Conductor, having already distinguished himself as a dynamic conductor and an experienced orchestra builder.
In 2007 Maestro Platonov was honored for his services to the arts.
His appearances as Music Director include J. Massenet’s Cleopatre which won him the Perm city award in 2001, Dvořák’s Rusalka, Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa, and most recent Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Verdi’s Otello.
Vladimir NIKITENKOV
Principal Chorus Master
Vladimir Nikitenkov spent five years studying at the College of St. Petersburg Conservatory and in 1995 he graduated from the chorus-conducting department of the same Conservatory. In the same year he became a winner of the 1st National Competition of chorus conductors and in the next year he received the State Scholarship Award of the Russian Federation.
During the period of 1995-1997 he worked as a conductor of the State Choir of Bashkortostan and from 2001 to 2002 of the National Symphony Orchestra of Bashkortostan.
In 2002 he worked on probation at St. Petersburg Conservatory under professor Minin. The period from 2002 to 2006 was devoted to academic work at the Ufa State Academy of Arts where he had a chair of the chorus conducting.
Aleksandr AGAPOV
Baritone
A native of Chelyabinsk, Aleksandr Agapov graduated from the vocal department of the Moscow Gnessyn State Institute of Music in 1989. From 1986 to 1989 he was a soloist of Arkhangelsk and Moscow philharmonics; he later worked in the Russian Chamber Choir “Contribution” in Moscow. In 1991 he joined the Moscow Musical Studio “Debut” as its soloist. He continued his singing career in the Moscow Chamber Musical theatre under direction of Boris Pokrovsky till 1997 where he sang Leporello, Figaro, the baritone roles in Shostakovich’s antiformalistic Rayek and Nose and in some other operas of contemporary composers, always revealing his high professional level.
Since 1998 Mr. Agapov is a soloist of the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre. His singing repertoire features the baritone as well as bass roles of Ebn Khakia, Mazepa, Tibo, Tomsky, and Eletsky in Tchaikovsky’s operas Iolanta, Mazepa, Maiden of Orleans and Queen of Spades as well as the title roles in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and Prince Igor, and Verdi’s Rigoletto and Gryaznoy in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Golden Cockerel and Tsar’s Bride, Escamillo, Amonasro, Alfio, Humbert in R. Schedrin’s Lolita, Mark Antony in J. Massenet’s Cleopatre and Dvořák’s Rusalka.
Pavel BRAGIN
Tenor
Mr. Bragin studied at the Perm State Institute of Arts and Culture under Professor Anzor Shomakhia, and in 1999 he began singing with the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre. His roles in opera to date include Samozvanets in Boris Godunov, Alfred and Gaston in La Traviata, Remendado in Carmen, Beppo in Pagliacci, Duke in Rigoletto, Basilio and Curcio in Mozart’s Figaro, Mozart in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart and Saglieri and Berendei in Snegurochka, Goro in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Prince in Dvořák’s Rusalka and tenor roles in Tchaikovsky’s Maiden of Orleans (Menestrel, Raymond), Yevgeny Onegin (Triquet), Queen of Spades (Chaplitsky), Mazeppa (Andrey), Iolanta (Almeric, Vaudemont), J. Massenet’s Cleopatre (Spakos) and C. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (2nd Pastor).
Nadezhda BABINTSEVA
Mezzo-soprano
Nadezhda Babintseva studied at the Chelyabinsk Musical College, then at the Ural State Conservatory of Ekaterinburg under professor Nikolay Golyshev until 1999. She joined the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre as a soloist in the same year and made her debut as Laura in Dargomyzhsky’s Stone Guest. Then she sang Maddalena in Rigoletto, Olga in Evgeny Onegin. The role of Kerubino in Le Nozze di Figaro brought her the Perm City award.
Her present repertoire includes Lola in P. Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Lyubasha in Tsar’s Bride, Lel in N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snegurochka and Konchakovna in Borodin’s Prince Igor.
Ms. Babintseva won third prize at the Glinka International singing competition in 2001. Her mezzo-soprano roles also feature Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Pauline in The Queen of Spades and the title role in Carmen. She sang Carmen in Romania, Germany and Switzerland.
She sang mezzo-soprano roles in the company’s recent productions of R. Schedrin’s Lolita, J. Massenet’s Cleopatre and Cinderella, G. Händel’s Alcina, and Dvořák’s Rusalka, Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa and in Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre’s Bestiarium project, which received its world premiere in Loccum, Germany.
Her most recent roles include Music, Herald and Hope in C.Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and God’s Mother in A. Rubinstein’s Christus.
Dmitriy BOBROV
Baritone
His initial vocal training was at the Ippolite-Ivanov College of Music in Moscow. Mr. Bobrov then studied at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory until 2006, where he made his singing debut at the Conservatory Hall in 2002 as Conte Almaviva in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. He appeared in the NTV program Golden Nightingale in 2003 with the aria of Mr. X from the operetta Princess of the Circus. He was a prize-winner in the Festos Festival in Moscow in 2004, and took part in the OPUS Festival in France in 2005 singing the role of Forester in Janaček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. In the same year Dmitriy Bobrov sang the baritone roles in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Dvořák’s Rusalka and Tchaikovsky’s Jeanne d’Arc with the State Choir under Valery Polyansky. In 2005 he joined the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre as a soloist and his repertoire has featured Silvio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, the baritone roles in Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame, Yevgeny Onegin and Jeanne d’Arc, Mizgir in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden, Master of Ceremonies in Massenet’s Cinderellion and Mark Antony in Cleopatre, Robert in Thaikovsky’s Iolanta and Huntsman in Dvořák’s Rusalka.
In 2008 he created the title role in C. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and the role of Judas in A. Rubinstein’s Christus.
Oleg IVANOV
Bass
Oleg Ivanov is a graduate of the Gnessin Academy of Music (2001). Mr. Ivanov joined the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre in the same year, singing an extensive repertoire of bass roles including Galitsky in Borodin’s Prince Igor, Malyuta and Bermyata in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Tsar’s Bride and Snegurochka, Ramphis and Pharaoh in Aida, Basilio, Bartolo, Sagliery, Monterone in Rigoletto, Pimen in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Pandolf and Eniy in Massenet’s Cinderella and Cleopatre, Emperor in Stravinsky’s Nightingale, Humbert and Mr. Chatfield in R. Schedrin’s Lolita; Gremin in Yevgeny Onegin, Surin in The Queen of Spades, Bertran in Maid of Orleans, Renet and Bertran in Iolanta and Orlik in Mazeppa (all Tchaikovsky’s operas).
Aisulu KHASANOVA
Soprano
A native of Perm, Aisulu Khasanova studied at the Perm Musical College, then at the Glinka State Conservatory in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia until 2002. She joined the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre as a soloist in the same year.
Her lyrico-coloratura repertoire features Gilda, Violetta, Susanna, the title roles in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden and Rodion Schedrin’s Lolita, as well as Frascita in Bizet’s Carmen, Lesovichka in Dvořák’s Rusalka, Addina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Fairy in Massenet’s Cinderella.
The role of Morgana in Händel’s Alcina and the title role in Stravinsky’s Nightingale brought her the Perm city award in 2004.
Ms. Khasanova won second prize at the Barsova Fist All-Russia festival-competition in Sochi (2003). She also participated in “Bella Voce” competition in Moscow (2000), and in the Perm festivals “Magic Coulisses” (2005,2007).
Tatyana KUINDZHI
Soprano
Tatyana Kuindzhi was born in Moscow, Russia, and studied at the State Academy of Music under Professor Gertrude Troyanova. She abandoned a successful career in popular music to become an opera singer, and in 1992 joined the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre in Perm and then the Helicon Opera in Moscow in 1988. With these and various other companies she has performed a vast operatic, oratorio and chamber repertoire, both classical and contemporary. In 1997 she participated in a world tour with Guidon Kremer. Ms. Kuindzhi has taken part in a number of international festivals, including Potsdam in 1994 (the Queen of Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte), Santander, Spain and Beijing, China in 2002 (Olympia in Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann and Berg’s Lulu), Lisbon in 2003 and 2004 (chamber music), and Loccum, Germany in 2000 through 2004 (Shostakovich, Shchetinsky et al.), and has successfully toured in Russia, France, Spain and the USA.
Tatyana Kuindzhi’s Tchaikovsky Opera Tehatre soprano repertoire include title roles in G. Händel’s Alcina and R. Schedrin’s Lolita, as well as Gilda, Rosina, Violetta, Marfa and Fairy in J. Massenet’s Cinderella.
Tatyana POLUEKTOVA
Soprano
A graduate of the Gnessin Musical Academy in Moscow, Tatyana Poluektova has been a soloist with the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre since 1987 and also with the Moscow New Opera since 1993. In early 1990-s she sang an improvisation from Pierre Boulez’s Malarmé under the composer’s batton and in Edison Denisov’s opera The Blue Notebook which was highly acclaimed at the Warsaw Music Festival.
The role of Tatyana from Tchaikovsky’s Yevgeny Onegin, which she sang in Belgrade in 1991 and later in Dublin, brought her European success. Mrs. Poluektova especially created the role of Katerina Izmaylova in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk to be performed at the 1994 Florence Maggio Musicale and was back there the following year as Florinda in Shubert’s Fierrabrass under Semyen Bykov.
Her international career has taken her to opera venues all over Europe where she sang Maria in Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa, (Holland) and Liza in L. Dodin’s production of Queen of Spades, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello (Norway), Emily in the world premiere of Berio’s Outis at La Scala, Militrissa in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Tale of Tsar Saltan at the Florence Maggio Musicale in 1997, Butterfly and Senta at Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre and others.
Tatyana Poluektova’s favourite roles include Amneris, Ioanna, Ruggero in Alcina and the title roles created by the singer at the Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre stage which feature Massenet’s Cleopatre and Cinderella, Dvořák’s Rusalka. She also sings three roles of Music, Herald and Hope in C. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Magdalene in A. Rubinstein’s Christus.
Sergey VLASOV
Soprano
Sergey Vlasov was educated at the Musical College in Perm from 1979 to 1983. After three years army service he went to the Ural State Conservatory of Ekaterinburg to study with Professor Margherita Vladimirova. He sand at Maliy Opera Theatre in Ekaterinburg in 1991 and the following year went to Tchaikovsky Opera Theatre for three years. He was with Bashkiria State Opera from 1995 to 1999, and then returned to Tchaikovsky Opera.
His repertoire includes the roles of Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, the title role in Gounod’s Faust, Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte, Tamino inDie Zauberflote, Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Lensky in Evgeny Onegin, Berendey in Snegurochka and Astrologer in The Golden Cockerel (both Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas), Vladimir Igorevich in Borodin’s Prince Idor and Yurodivy and Missail in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. Sergey took part in the company’s recent productions of R. Schedrin’s Lolita, Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa, C. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and A. Rubinstein’s Christus.
Mr. Vlasov made his Opera Ireland debut as Zinovy Ismailov in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in November 2000 and sang Tchaplitskiy in The Queen of Spades in November 2002.
