Soprano
Margarita Alaverdian
• Prize-winner at the International Maria Callas Vocal Competition (Athens, 1989, 2nd prize and silver medal).
 •Prize-winner at the All-Union Georg Otz Competition (Tallinn, 1988, 1st prize).

 Born in Krasny Sulin, Rostov Region. Graduated from the Odessa State Nezhdanova Conservatoire in 1986 and was admitted to the Odessa State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Performed the lead soprano roles there for seven seasons and had a busy concert schedule as well as frequently touring with the company.
 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1994.

Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Prokris (Cephal i Prokris in concert),
 Lady in Waiting (Macbeth),
 Heavenly Voice (Don Carlo),
 Musetta (La Bohème),
 Lauretta, Nella (Gianni Schicchi),
 Eurydice (Orfeo ed Euridice in concert),
 Rosina, La Contessa di Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Helmwige (Die Walküre),
 Woglinde (Das Rheingold, Götterdämmerung)
 and Klingsor´s Flower Maiden (Parsifal).

Repertoire also includes:
 Tatiana (Eugene Onegin),
 Agnès Sorel (The Maid of Orleans),
 Iolanta (Iolanta),
 the Queen of Shemakha (The Golden Cockerel),
 Marfa (The Tsar´s Bride),
 Lisa (La sonnambula),
 Violetta (La traviata),
 Leonora (Il trovatore),
 Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly),
 Marguerite (Faust)
 and Micaëla (Carmen).

 Margarita Alaverdian frequently gives concerts at the Small and Great Halls of the St Petersburg Shostakovich Philharmonic. Takes part in music festivals and records on television and radio.
 Chamber repertoire includes vocal cycles and songs by Glinka, Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rakhmaninov, Debussy, Ravel, Berg, Poulenc, Wagner and Richard Strauss, as well as arias from Italian operas and operettas by Johann Strauss, Kálmán, Lehár and Lecocq and cantata-oratorio works such as Bach´s Coffee Cantata and The Passion According to St John, Haydn´s Stabat mater, Pergolesi´s Stabat mater, Rossini´s Stabat mater, Mozart´s Requiem, Beethoven´s Ninth Symphony and Triumphant Mass, Verdi´s Requiem, Brahms´ German Requiem and Mahler´s Second and Fourth Symphonies.

 Has toured to Bulgaria, Germany, Japan, Israel, Finland, China, Australia, the USA, Belgium, Greece, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

 Recordings include Russian romances by Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Rakhmaninov and Balakirev.

 

Tatiana Borodina
•Diploma-winner at the New Voices of the East international competition (Rome, 1997).
 •Prize-winner at the International Rimsky-Korsakov Competition (St Petersburg, 1998).

Born in Perm. Graduated from the Perm School of Music, then from the St Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 2000.
 At the Conservatoire´s Musical Theatre, she performed roles including Olga (  Rusalka), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Iolanta (Iolanta), Marguerite (Faust) and Mimм (La bohème).
 Soloist with the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers since 1998.
 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 2001.

Repertoire includes:
 Kupava (The Snow Maiden in concert),
 Fevronia (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maid Fevronia in concert),
 Maria (Mazepa),
 Tatiana (Eugene Onegin),
 Lisa (The Queen of Spades),
 Olga (The Story of a Real Man in concert),
 Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte),
 the Countess, Rosina (Le nozze di Figaro),
 High Priestess (Aida),
 Desdemona (Otello),
 Nedda (I pagliacci),
 Elsa (Lohengrin),
 the Goddess Freia (Das Rheingold),
 Mimì (La Bohème),
 Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica),
 Madama Butterfly (Madama Butterfly),
 Liù (Turandot).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Theatre to Italy (Ravenna Music Festival), Great Britain (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Germany (Baden-Baden), Austria (Salzburg Festival), China, Israel, Finland and the Netherlands (Amsterdam's Concertgebouw).
 In 2002, was involved in the joint production of Musorgsky´s opera Boris Godunov (Xenia) by the Mariinsky Theatre and the Teatro alla Scala.

 

Mlada Khudoley
Born in Moscow. Graduated from the opera faculty of the Russian Theatrical Academy (Moscow, 1996, vocal class of Tatiana Sukhanova and Leili Dzhaparidze, Bolshoi Theatre Soloist and People´s Artist of Georgia). Trained in Vienna with Professor Ingeborg Wamser (1996).
 Made her debut at the Mariinsky Theatre as Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer) in 1998. Mariinsky Theatre soloist from the same year.
 Since 2000, has received vocal consultations from Grayr Khanedanian, People´s Artist of Uzbekistan, Honoured Artist of Ukraine and Mariinsky Theatre soloist.

Prize-winner of the All-Russian Bach Competition of Young Singers (Moscow, 1994).
 Diploma-winner at the International Competition in Rome (1997).
 Bayreuth scholarship student of the International Richard Wagner Society (1998).

Repertoire in Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Renata (Prokofiev´s The Fiery Angel), Salome (Strauss´ Salome), Elvira (Mozart´s Don Giovanni), Aida, Priestess (Verdi´s Aida), Sieglinde (Wagner´s Die Walküre), Gutrune (Wagner´s Die Götterdämmerung), Senta (Wagner´s Der Fliegende Holländer), Lady Macbeth (Verdi´s Macbeth), Fevronia (Rimsky-Korsakov´s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maid Fevronia), Abigail (Verdi´s Nabucco, in concert) and Norma (Bellini´s Norma, in concert).

Repertoire also includes
Verdi´s Requiem, Orff´s Carmina Burana and Beethoven´s Ninth symphony.

Has performed on tour with the Mariinsky Theatre to Tel Aviv (Strauss´ []iSalome, 1998), Tokyo (Wagner´s Der Fliegende Holländer, 2000), Baden-Baden (Prokofiev´s The Fiery Angel, 2000, and Wagner´s Die Walküre, 2001), Melbourne (the opening of the International Festival in 2001 - Prokofiev´s The Fiery Angel and Strauss´ Salome, 2001) and Osaka (Mozart´s Don Giovanni, 2002).
 Has performed as Senta in Wagner´s Der Fliegende Holländer (1998) and Sieglinde in Wagner´s Die Walküre (2002) with the Mariinsky Theatre at the Bolshoi Theatre.
 Performed as Sieglinde at the Stars of the White Nights 2001 festival together with Placido Domingo (Siegmund).
 Performed as Salome at the I International Trakai festival (Lithuania), the patrons of which are Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin (1998).
 At the IV International Festival in Beijing in 2001, performed the role of Abigail in Verdi´s Nabucco together with the Warsaw National Opera under the baton of Kaspshik.
 Has toured independently to Kazan (Chaliapin Festival), Riga (Opera Festivals in 1998 and 1999), Amsterdam (Verdi Gala Concert at the Konzertgebau), Moscow (Great Hall of the Conservatoire, the Tchaikovsky Hall - Verdi´s Requiem and Beethoven´s Ninth symphony) and St Petersburg (Great Philharmonic Hall - Verdi´s Requiem).
 Has performed alongside conductors such as Gergiev, Noseda, Kaspshik, Cogan, Polyansky, Ziva, Rinkyavichus and Boemi.

 

Lyudmila Kasyanenka
Since 1978 - principal singer of the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov Opera).

 

 

 

 

 

Her repertoire includes: Violetta (Traviata), Rosina (Barber of Seville), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Lauretta (Betrothal in a Monastery), Salerdotessa (Aida), Antonida (Ivan Susanin), Norina (Love Drink), Pleasant Lady (Dead Souls), Tsarevna (Tsar Saltan), Sophie (Verter), Frascitta (Carmen), Jilda (Rigoletto).
Current repertoire: Papagena (Magic Flute), Skomoroshina (Sadko), Barbarina (Marriage of Figaro), Annina (Traviata), Ninetta (Love for three oranges), Motley Dame (The Gambler), Nun (The Fiery Angel), Cio Cio San's cousine (Madama Butterfly), Flora (Traviata), Aksinya, Female Convict, Cook (Katerina Ismailova), Gerhilde (Die Walkure).
Has toured with the Mariinsky Company in Germany, France, Italy, Finland, Japan, USA.

Recordings: "Sadko", "The Fiery Angel" by Philips Classics.

Olga Sergeeva
•Prize-winner at the I International Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers´ Competition (St Petersburg, 1999).
 •Recipient of the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg´s highest theatre prize, for "Best opera role" as Fevronia in The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia (2001).

Born in Bashkiria. Studied at the Gnesins´ Russian Academy of Music (class of Zara Dolukhanova).
 Soloist with the Moscow New Opera from 1998 – 2000, where her repertoire included Wally (Catalani´s La Wally), Tamara (The Demon) and Fevronia (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia).
 Made her debut at Moscow´s Bolshoi Theatre in March 2000 as Aida (Aida).
Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 2000.

Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Nastasia (The Enchantress),
Lisa (The Queen of Spades),
Fevronia (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
Katerina Ismailova (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk),
Lady Macbeth (Macbeth),
Amelia (Un ballo in maschera),
Aida (Aida),
Brünnhilde (Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung),
Turandot (Turandot).
 Repertoire also includes: Wally (La Wally), Tamara (The Demon) and Natasha (Rusalka).

Frequently gives concerts in St Petersburg, Moscow and throughout Europe.
 Made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in July 2001 as Amelia (Un ballo in maschera), Aida (Aida) and Lady Macbeth (Macbeth).
 In August the same year during a tour by the Mariinsky Theatre she made her debut at the Baden-Baden Festival as Brünnhilde (Die Walküre).

Has taken part in the Verdi Festival (Parma, Italy), performing as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera (conducted by Valery Gergiev). In 2002 she performed as Kuma (The Enchantress) at the Lisbon Opera (conducted by Zoltán Pescó). In 2004 in Manchester she performed as Lisa in a concert version of The Queen of Spades with the BBC Orchestra (conducted by Gianandrea Noseda). In October 2004 she made her Metropolitan Opera debut, performing as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre alongside Plácido Domingo as Siegmund with Valery Gergiev conducting. She performed the same role at the Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris) in November 2005 (conducted by Christoph Eschenbach). In July 2005 she took part in the concert programme of the Ravello Music Festival (Italy), conducted by Valery Gergiev. In London in April 2006 with the London Symphony Orchestra she performed Shostakovich´s Fourteenth Symphony under Valery Gergiev.

Irina Vasilieva
• Prize-winner at the International Vocal Competition in Verona (Italy, 1999).
 • Prize-winner at the International Elena Obraztsova Competition (St Petersburg, 1999).
 • Recipient of a special diploma and prize for best performance of a work by a 20th century composer at the IV International Rimsky-Korsakov Young Opera Singers´ Competition (St Petersburg, 2000).
 • Prize-winner at the International Izabella Yurieva Competition (Tallinn, 2004).

Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (composition class of Professor Slonimsky and vocal class of Yevgenia Perlasova).
 Soloist with the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers from 1999.
 Made her Mariinsky Theatre debut in 2000 as Wellgunde in the premiere of Wagner´s Das Rheingold. Joined the Mariinsky Opera Company in 2005.

Repertoire includes:
 Polovtsian Maiden (Prince Igor),
Brigitta (Iolanta in concert),
Povarikha (The Tale of Tsar Saltan),
soprano part (Les Noces),
Arsinoia (Cimarosa´s Cleopatra),
Corinna (Il viaggio a Reims),
Anna (Nabucco),
Musetta (La bohème),
Amour (Orphée et Eurydice in concert),
Mercédès (Carmen),
Wellgunde (Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung),
Ortlinde (Die Walküre),
Echo and Naiad (Ariadne auf Naxos),
Mozart´s Requiem,
Mahler´s Eighth Symphony.

At the Great Hall of the St Petersburg Shostakovich Philharmonic in 2003 she performed Händel´s Messiah with the Lege Artis chorus, and in 2005 she performed Richard Strauss´ Vier Letzten Lieder cycle for voice and orchestra. In 2003 at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall (Moscow) she performed the soprano part in Beethoven´s Ninth Symphony. In 2005 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire she performed the role of the Mermaid in the opera of the same name by Dvorák.
Has worked with conductors including Gergiev, Bertini, Glinka, Bashmet, Walander, Kantorov and Sokhiev.
Has toured to the USA, Finland and Japan.

Larisa Gogolevskaya
Recipient of the State Prize of Russia.
 Awarded the Golden Mask (2005) for "Best female role in opera" (Isolde in Tristan und Isolde).

Graduated from the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (class of Professor I. Levando).

Repertoire includes:
Yaroslavna (Prince Igor),
Nun, Renata (The Fiery Angel),
Katerina Ismailova (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk),
Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer),
Ortrud (Lohengrin),
Brünnhilde (Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung),
Kundry (Parsifal),
 Isolde (Tristan und Isolde)
and Elektra (Elektra in concert).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Theatre to Japan, the USA, France, Slovenia, Italy, Finland, Portugal and Turkey.

Tatiana Kravtsova
Prizewinner of the International Vocal Competition (Perm, 1993).

Graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire and joined the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov Opera) in 1987.

Her repertoire includes: Violetta (La traviata), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Parasia (Sorochinsty Fair), Emma (Khovanshchina), Princess Ninetta (The Love for Three Oranges), Prilepa (The Queen of Spades), Luisa (Betrothal in a Monastery), Pamina (Die Zauberflote), Tsarevna (Sadko), Francesca (Franceska da Rimini), Princess of Supreme Beauty (Kashchei the Immortal), Sirin (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh), Lyudmila (Ruslan and Lyudmila), Aksinya/ Woman convict (Katerina Ismailova), Priestess (Aida), Parasha (Mavra), Klingsor's flower maiden (Parsifal), Lisa (La sonnambula), Ksenia (Boris Godunov), Woglinde (Das Rheingold), Nun (The Fiery Angel), Dunyasha/ Housemaid (War and Peace), Lady-in- waiting (Macbeth), Hermwige (Die Walkure).
Has toured with the Mariinsky Company to Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Germany, Spain, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Japan and the USA.
In 1992 she performed in the Gala Concert "Pacific Voices" in San Francisco and in 1993 sang Francesca da Rimini at the Flanders Festival.

Recordings: In 1993 Kravtsova took part in recordings by Philips Classics, and the television broadcast, of the Kirov Opera's The Fiery Angel.

Svetlana Volkova
 Honored Artist of Russia (2005).

Graduated from the Leningrad Conservatoire (class of Prof. G. A. Kovaleva) in 1974.
Joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 1990.

Her repertoire includes: Pauline/ Blanche (The Gambler), Sonya / Peronskaia (War and Peace), Fata Morgana (The Love for Three Oranges), Second Lady (Die Zauberflote), 1st younf nun/ the hostess (The Fiery Angel), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), Larina (Eugene Onegin), Susanna (Khovanshchina), Marselina (Le nozze di Figaro), Flora Bervoix (La traviata), Herodias (Salome), Naina (Ruslan and Lyudmila), Klingsor's flower maiden (Parsifal), 2 nd old woman (Semion Kotko), Fricka (Das Rheingold), Fricka (Die Walkure).
Has toured with the Mariinsky Company in France, Japan, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Finland, Israel, Spain, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Great Britain (Covent Garden).

Mezzo-soprano
Zlata Bulycheva
•Prize-winner at the II International Pechkovsky Opera Singers´ Competition (St Petersburg, 1996, 1st prize).
 •Prize-winner at the II International Rimsky-Korsakov Competition (St Petersburg, 1998, 3rd prize).
 •Prize-winner at the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, 1999, 4th prize).

Born in Petrozavodsk. Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1995 (class of Professor Levando), continuing as a post graduate student in chamber singing (class of Professor Izotov).
 Trained at the Stuttgart Academy of Music.
 Soloist with the Music Theatre of the St Petersburg Conservatoire from 1994 – 1995.
 Made her Mariinsky Theatre debut in 1996 as Siebel (Faust). Mariinsky Theatre soloist from the same year.

Repertoire includes:
 Vanya (A Life for the Tsar),
 Ratmir (Ruslan and Lyudmila),
 Tsarevich Fyodor (Boris Godunov),
 Konchakovna (Prince Igor),
 Olga (Eugene Onegin),
 Polina, Milovzor (The Queen of Spades),
 Lel (The Snow Maiden),
 Lumir (Mlada),
 Nezhata (Sadko),
 Lyubasha (The Tsar´s Bride),
 Boy (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
 Jocasta (Oedipus Rex),
 Frosia (Semyon Kotko),
 Sonya, Princess Maria Bolkonskaya (War and Peace),
 Testor (Cephal i Prokris in concert),
 Fenena (Nabucco),
 Amneris (Aida),
 Emelia (Otello),
 Dalila (Samson et Dalila),
 Nicklausse (Les Contes d´Hoffmann),
 Orfeo (Orfeo ed Euridice in concert),
 Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro),
 Erda (Das Rheingold, Siegfried),
 Flosshilde, Waltraute (Götterdümmerung).
 Her concert repertoire includes cantata-oratorio works by Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, Verdi, Berlioz, Wagner, Mahler and Prokofiev.

Recordings include Musorgsky´s Boris Godunov and Prokofiev´s Love for Three Oranges (conducted by Valery Gergiev with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra) for Philips Classics and Pergolesi´s cantata Stabat Mater and Slave Regina (conducted by Alexander Titov with the St Petersburg Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra).

 In 2003 she performed Mahler´s Third Symphony with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda in Manchester and also with the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev at the NHK Hall in Tokyo.
 Regular participant in the Road to Peace project and in 2004 she performed Mahler´s Second Symphony with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra (Japan).
 Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Europe, the USA, Latin America and Japan.

Olga Savova
Prize-winner at the Voci Verdiani international competition in Italy (1992).

 In 2001, was nominated for a Grammy for the best opera recording (Semyon Kotko).

 Born in St Petersburg. Graduated from the School of Music of the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (piano). Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (vocal faculty, class of Professor I. P. Bogacheva).

 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1996.

Repertoire includes:
 Marina Mnishek (Boris Godunov),
 Marfa (Khovanshchina),
 The Angel (The Demon),
 Olga (Eugene Onegin),
 Lyubov (Mazepa),
 Princess Evpraksiya (The Enchantress),
 Polina (The Queen of Spades),
 Red Spring (The Snow Maiden),
 Lyubasha (The Tsar´s Bride),
 Blanche (The Gambler),
 Frosia (Semyon Kotko),
 Hélène, Sonya (War and Peace),
 Flora (La traviata),
 Azucena (Il trovatore),
 Preziosilla (La forza del destino),
 Eboli (Don Carlo),
 Amneris (Aida),
 Emilia (Otello),
 Carmen (Carmen),
 Brünnhilde (Die Walküre),
 Wellgunde (Das Rheingold),
 Berlioz´ La Damnation de Faust
 and Verdi´s Requiem.

 Has toured throughout the world with the Mariinsky Theatre, performing at Covent Garden (London), La Scala (Milan) and the Metropolitan Opera (New York). Has taken part in the Moscow Easter Festival, as well as festivals in Mikkeli (Finland) and Rotterdam (Netherlands). Has given solo recitals in France (Paris), Belgium, Holland, Italy, Russia, the USA, Japan, China and Israel.

 In 2004, took part in the European premiere of the Mariinsky Theatre´s production of Wagner´s tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen (Festspielhaus, Baden-Baden), the production being highly acclaimed by the German media as a truly historical event in music.

Larisa Diadkova
• People´s Artist of Russia.
 • Prize-winner at the All-Russian Glinka Vocalists´ Competition (2nd prize, Moscow, 1984).
 • Recipient of the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg´s highest theatre prize (1998).
 • Recipient of the Casta Diva Russian opera prize (2001).

Born in Zelenodolsk (Tatarstan). Graduated from the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1978 (class of Professor Levando-Timanova).
 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1978.

Repertoire includes:
 Bayan (Ivan Susanin),
Ratmir (Ruslan and Lyudmila),
Marfa (Khovanshchina),
Konchakovna (Prince Igor),
Olga (Eugene Onegin),
Lyubov (Mazepa),
Polina, Countess (The Queen of Spades),
Dunyasha (The Tsar´s Bride),
Alkonost (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia in concert),
Fortune-teller, Mother Superior (The Fiery Angel),
Sonya (War and Peace in concert),
Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera),
Maddalena (Rigoletto),
Amneris (Aida),
Frika (Das Rheingold),
Irodiada (Salome),
Verdi´s Requiem.

Performs at opera houses and festivals all over the world. Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Finland, Italy, the UK (Covent Garden), Israel, the USA (Metropolitan Opera), Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, France, Japan, Scotland, Luxemburg and Portugal.
 Has performed in concert with many renowned orchestras, such as the New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Cleveland Symphony Orchestras, the Berliner Philharmoniker and the New York Philharmonic. She has performed at the world´s leading opera houses including the Wiener Staatsoper, the Opéra Bastille, the Arena di Verona and the Metropolitan Opera where she has been a guest soloist since 1996. Has taken part in international music festivals in Salzburg and Bregenz. Has worked with conductors including Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Temirkanov, Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Muti.

Recordings with Philips Classics and NHK include:
Mariinsky Theatre productions of Ruslan and Lyudmila, Boris Godunov, Sadko, Kashchei the Immortal, Mazepa, Iolanta, The Fiery Angel and Betrothal in a Monastery;
solo recordings include Shostakovich´s – Op. 4 (conducted by Neeme Järvi), Mahler´s – Third Symphony (conducted by Eno de Var), Brahms – Songs, Op. 91 for mezzo-soprano, viola and piano (Yuri Bashmet) and Shostakovich´s From Jewish Folk Poetry.

Mzia Nioradze
•Prize-winner at the International Julio Gayari Vocalists´ Competition (Spain, 1994).
 •Prize-winner at the International Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers´ Competition (4th prize, St Petersburg, 1999).
 •Diploma-recipient at the Belvedere Competition and the II International Rimsky-Korsakov Young Opera Singers´ Competition (St Petersburg, 1995, prize for her virtuoso performance of L´italiana in Algeri).

Born in Tbilisi. Graduated from the singing faculty of the Tbilisi Conservatoire in 1992. Continued her singing studies at the Osimo Academy of Music in Italy under Mario Melani. Soloist with the Paliashvili Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 1991 – 1992 where her roles included Eboli (Don Carlo), Azucena (Il trovatore), Maddalena (Rigoletto), Nano (Daisi) and Natella (Absalom and Eteri).
 Made her Mariinsky Theatre debut in 1996 as Carmen (Carmen).

Repertoire includes:
 Konchakovna (Prince Igor),
Lyubov (Mazepa),
Teresa (La sonnambula),
Maddalena (Rigoletto),
Azucena (Il trovatore),
Preziosilla (La forza del destino),
Mrs Quickly (Falstaff),
Eboli (Don Carlo),
Suzuki (Madama Butterfly),
Carmen (Carmen),
Dalila (Samson et Dalila),
Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro),
Flosshilde (Das Rheingold),
Herodias´ Page (Salome).

Liya Shchevtsova
Born in Leningrad. Graduated from the St Petersburg Conservatoire in 1994. Joined the MariinskyTheatre in 1993 and made her debut as the First Dame (Die Zauberflote).

Her repertoire includes:
The First dame/ Papagena (Die Zauberflote), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Princess Nicoletta/ Princess Linetta (The Love for Three Oranges), Marguerite (Faust), Ines (Il trovatore), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Emma (Khovanshchina), Cook (The Nightengale), Priestess (Aida), Micaela (Carmen), Squire / Klingsor's Flower Maiden (Parsifal), Curra (La forza del destino), Lady- in- waiting (Macbeth), Annina (La traviata), Arsinoia (Cleopatra by Domenico Cimarosa), Gerhilde (Die Walkure).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Company in Germany, Finland, France, Spain, Luxemburg, Netherlands, the USA, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Great Britain (Covent Garden).

Nadezhda Vasilieva
Diploma recipient at the International Rimsky-Korsakov Opera Singers´ Competition (1994, St Petersburg).

Born in Kazakhstan. Studied at the conducting and choral faculty of the Leningrad Institute of Culture. Graduated from the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1984 (solo singing class of Professor Barinova).
 Soloist with the Sverdlovsk Lunacharsky Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1984-1986, where she performed as: the Angel (The Demon), Marina Mnishek (Boris Godunov), Olga (Eugene Onegin), Siebel (Faust) and Lyubasha (The Tsar´s Bride).
 Performed in concerts in St Petersburg (1986-1993). Carried out an assistantship with Professor Kovaleva at the St Petersburg Conservatoire (1991-1993).

Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1993.
Repertoire includes:
Ratmir (Ruslan and Lyudmila),
Hostess of the Inn, Nurse (Boris Godunov),
Agafia Tikhonovna (The Marriage),
Marthe (Iolanta),
the Sister-in-Law (May Night),
Solokha (Christmas Eve),
Nezhata (Sadko),
Petrovna (The Tsar´s Bride),
Babarikha (The Tale of Tsar Saltan),
Kashcheyevna (Kashchei the Immortal),
Alkonost (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
Death (The Nightingale),
Smeraldina (Love for Three Oranges),
Fortune-Teller (The Fiery Angel),
Duenna (Betrothal in a Monastery),
Sonetka, Woman Convict (Katerina Ismailova),
the Snow Queen, Grandmother (The Story of Kay and Gerda),
Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia),
Siegrune (Die Walküre).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company and independently to Germany (Hamburg Opera), Italy, Japan, the USA, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
 As a guest soloist with the Kazan Theatre of Opera and Ballet she has toured to the UK where she performed as Amneris (Aida).

Lyudmila Kanunnikova
Graduated from St Petersburg conservatoire. With the Mariinsky theatre since 1978.

Her repertoire includes: Lyubov' (Mazepa), Azucena (Il trovatore), Ortrud (Lohengrin), Amneris (Aida), the nun (The Fiery Angel), Flora Bervoix (La traviata), the woman (Semion Kotko), Schwertleite (Die Walkure).

 

 

 

 

Elena Vitman
•Special prize of the International Competition in Vroslav (1992, Poland)
 •Prizewinner of the Pechkovsky International Competition (1994, St Petersburg).

Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (class of Professor I.P. Bogatcheva) and complete a post-graduate course.
 Joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 1997 and made her debut as Lyubava (Sadko).

Her repertoire includes:
Konchakovna (Prince Igor),
Olga and Nurse (Eugene Onegin),
Polina, Milovzor, the Countess, Governess (The Queen of Spades),
Lyubov (Mazepa),
Nenila (Enchantress),
Lyubava (Sadko),
Tamara´s Nurse (The Demon),
Frosya (Semyon Kotko),
Maria Bolkonskaya (War and Peace),
Madame Podtochina, Old Countess (The Nose),
Siebel (Faust),
Preziosilla (La forza del destino),
The Abbess (Suor Angelica),
Erda and First Norn (Götterdämmerung),
Alexander Nevsky by S. Prokofiev,
Stabat Mater by Pergolesi,
Requiem by Verdi.

Lyubov Sokolova
Prizewinner of the International Vocal Competition (Perm, 1997).

Born in Chelyabinsk (Ural). Graduated from the St Petrsburg Conservatoire (class of Prof. N.A. Serval) in 1993. Had a post graduate studies (class of Prof A.N. Kiselev) in 1993 - 1995.
Joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 1993.

Her repertoire includes: Olga (Eugene Onegin), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Hostess of the Inn/ Feodor (Boris Godunov), Smeraldina (The Love for Three Oranges), Stefanida (The Maid of Pskov), Page (Salome), Sonetka (Katerina Ismailova), Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Pauline (The Queen of Spades), Marfa (Khovanshchina), Lyubava (Sadko), Emilia (Otello), Voice (Parsifal), Erda (Das Rheingold), Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera), Flora Bervoix (La traviata), Rosseweisse (Die Walkure).
Has toured with the Mariinsky Company in Germany, Finland, Portugal, France, Spain, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Japan, Italy, South America.

Recordings: Salome, Ivan the Terrible, The Tsar's Bride (under Valery Gergiev with Philips Classics).

Tenor
Konstantin Pluzhnikov
Awards include:
1968   -   Glinka All-Russia Vocal Competition III prizewinner;
1970   -   International Enesku Competition in Bucharest (1 prize);
1983   -   People's Artist of Russia;
1972   -   International Competition in Geneva I prizewinner.

Born in Georgia. Graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory (vocal class under professor E.Olhovski) in 1970.
1968-1971   -   Principal singer of Maly Opera and Ballet Theatre, St Petersburg.
1971   -   joined Kirov Opera Company.
1998   -   Appointed Director of the newly founded Academy of Young Singers of the Mariinsky Theatre.

His repertoire includes: Afanasy Ivanovich (Sorochinsky Fair), Edgar (Lucia di Lammermoor), Don Carlos (Don Carlos), Mephistopheles (The Fiery Angel), Count Almavira (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Faust (Faust), Lohengrin (Lohengrin), Vladimir Igorevich (Prince Igor), Shuisky (Boris Godunov), Scrivener, Golitsyn (Khovanshchina), Kashchei (Kashchei the Immortal), Grishka Kutierma (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh), Fisherman (The Nightengale), Finn, Bayan (Ruslan and Ludmila), Herodes (Salome), Don Gerome (Betrothal in a Monastery), Loge (Das Rheingold).
He also has a vast chamber music repertoire.
Has performed abroad and toured with the company: Italy, Germany, Spain, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland, Israel, USA (Metropolitan Opera), Austria, Holland, Japan, etc.
Konstantin Pluzhnikov is frequently invited as a guest soloist at major American and European Opera houses, such as the Metropolitan Opera House, San Francisco Opera, La Scala, La Fenice, La Bastille among others.

Recordings:
•    1992 with Philips Classics and NHK - audio and video - Khovanshchina (Scrivener and Golitsyn)
•    1993 with Philips Classics - audio and video - The Fiery Angel - (Mephistoheles)
•    1993 with Philips Classics - audio - Prince Igor - (Yeroshka)
•    1995 - with Philips Classics and RM Arts - Ruslan and Liudmila (Finn)
•    1997 - with Philips Classics - audio - Boris Godunov
 Furthermore he has recorded more than ten discs, featuring romances by Russian composers.

Leonid Zakhozhaev
Leonid Zakhozhaev was born in Krasnodar in the South of Russia.
 His development to the position of a leading tenor at the Kirov Opera (Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg) went through a number of stages. Having graduated from St Petersburg State Academy of Theatre, Music and Cinema as a dramatic actor, he worked in theatre, created roles in the cinema and on television and had some success as a rock and pop singer in 80-s underground culture. In 1989 he realized his true vocation and entered the St Petersburg State Conservatoire.

While a student he sang leading roles at the Conservatoire Opera Theatre including Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Vaudemont (Iolanta), Faust, Ivan Lykov (The Tsar´s Bride), Kuragin (War and Peace). Immediately upon graduation he was invited to the Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera to sing Narraboth in the new production of Salomé by world-famous director Julie Taymor, conducted by Valery Gergiev. The premiere first took place in the legendary medieval theatre of the Ober Ammergau and was televised throughout Europe. Its first performance at the Mariinsky Theatre opened the White Nights Festival in 1995.

It was as a leading tenor of the Kirov Opera, guided by Valery Gergiev, that Leonid Zakhozhaev was first introduced to the stages of great opera theatres and concert halls throughout the world including the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Germany´s Baden-Baden Festival (where he had a success as Siegfried), Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real, Madrid, the Chatelet, Paris, Italy´s Ravenna Festival, the Savonlinna Opera Festival and Mikkeli Music Festival in Finland, the Rotterdam Gergiev Festival and Amsterdam´s Concertgebouw in Holland, the Kennedy Center, Washington, in Japan, Israel, Argentina, Chile, Luxemburg, Hong-Kong, Australia, Sweden and Brazil.

His favourite roles include:
 Lohengrin (which he performed in Ravenna Festival), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Faust, Hermann (The Queen of Spades), Vaudemont (Iolanta) – which he sang in Munich, Macduff (Macbeth) – which he performed on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, Sergei (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) – performed at the Salzburg Festival and Baltimore Opera, the title role of the Berlioz´ Benvenuto Cellini, which he has also recorded under Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic for Erato, and of course, Siegfried.

"Leonid Zakhozhaev, who looked handsome and sang handsomely as the young Siegfried, with plenty of range and endurance for the punishing final duet with Brünnhilde" – wrote New York Times about his performance in Baden-Baden in January 2004.

His forthcoming plans include Lohengrin in Brazil, Siegfried in Canada and the new role of Tristan in the new production at the Mariinsky Theatre under Valery Gergiev (to be premiered in may 2004).

His repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Sobinin (Ivan Susanin),
 Yurodiviy (Boris Godunov),
 Prince Sinodal (The Demon),
 Berendey (The Snow Maiden),
 Indian Guest (Sadko),
 Lensky (Eugene Onegin),
 Prince Yury (The Enchantress),
 Oedipus (Oedipus Rex),
 Prince (Love for Three Oranges),
 Agrippa, Mephistopheles (The Fiery Angel),
 Antonio (Betrothal in a Monastery),
 Sergei (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk),
 Macduff (Macbeth);
 Benvenuto Cellini (Benvenuto Cellini),
 Faust (Gounod´s Faust and Berlioz´ La Damnation de Faust) ,
 Hoffmann (Les Contes d´Hoffmann),
 Erik (Der Fliegende Holländer),
 Lohengrin (Lohengrin),
 Froh (Das Rheingold),
 Siegfried (Siegfried),
 Siegfried (Götterdämmerung),
 Tristan (Tristan und Isolde),
 Narraboth (Salomé),
 Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos),
 and the tenor solo in Mahler´s Das Lied von der Erde.

Yevgeny Akimov
•Recipient of the Golden Mask Russian theatre prize (1996, 2003).
 •Diploma-recipient of the Golden Sophit, St Petersburg´s highest theatre prize.
 •Prize-winner at the I International Pechkovsky Competition (St Petersburg, 1994).

 Born in 1967 in Leningrad. Graduated from the vocal faculty of the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (class of L. Morozov).
 Soloist with the "Zazerkalye" Children´s Music Theatre from 1991, where he performed the roles of Finist (The Tale of Finist the Falcon), Nemorino (L´elisir d´amore) and Tamino (Die Zauberflöte).
 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1996.

Repertoire includes over thirty roles, among them:
 Bayan (Ruslan and Lyudmila),
Prince Vladimir (Prince Igor),
God´s Fool (Boris Godunov),
Indian Merchant (Sadko),
Ivan Lykov (The Tsar´s Bride),
 Lensky (Eugene Onegin),
 Andrei (Mazepa),
Prince Sinodal (The Demon),
 Mikola (Semyon Kotko),
Cassio (Otello),
 Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto),
 Don Antonio (Betrothal in a Monastery),
Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni),
Alfredo (La traviata),
Froh (Das Rheingold),
 Daland´s Steersman (Der Fliegende Holländer),
 Rodolfo (La Bohìme),
 Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor),
Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi),
 Narraboth (Salome),
 Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly).

 Has performed at the world´s leading theatres, among them the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden and the Grand Opéra.
 Has taken part in joint productions of the Mariinsky Theatre and San Francisco Opera (Prokofiev´s Betrothal in a Monastery) and La Scala (Musorgsky´s Boris Godunov) in addition to various projects with the world´s leading singers, such as Giuseppe Giacomini (Otello), Plácido Domingo (Parsifal) and Ferruccio Furlanetto (Boris Godunov).

 In 2002 at Rome´s Accademia Santa Cecilia he performed as Zinovy Borisovich in Shostakovich´s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk under the baton of Mstislav Rostropovich.
 In 2003 together with Maestro Gergiev, he performed at the opening of the season at Carnegie Hall, performing the cycle From Jewish Folk Poetry by Shostakovich. The same year he took part in the premiere of Rodion Shchedrin´s new opera The Enchanted Traveller, conducted by Lorin Maazel (Avery Fisher Hall, New York).
 In 2002-2003, he toured with the State Musical Theatre of Rostov on Don to the UK, performing as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia).
 Regularly works with the National Opera of Moldova and takes part in the Maria Bieshu Invita festival.
 Performed as Don Antonio (Prokofiev´s Betrothal in a Monastery) in 2004 at the Teatro Regio (Turin).
 Frequently performs concerts at St Petersburg´s most prestigious chamber music venues.

 CD recordings include Boris Godunov, Betrothal in a Monastery, Prince Igor, The Tsar´s Bride, Love for Three Oranges, Semyon Kotko and The Demon.

Nikolay Gassiev
Honoured Artist of Russia.
 Awarded a Grammy in 1996 and 1998 for roles in Borodin´s Prince Igor and Prokofiev´s Betrothal in a Monastery.
 Graduated from the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1980.
 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1990.

Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Andrei Khovansky, Vasily Golitsyn (Khovanshchina),
the Pretender Dmitri, Shuisky (Boris Godunov),
Paissi (The Enchantress),
Grishka Kuterma (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
Elisa Bomelius (The Tsar´s Bride),
the Marquis (The Gambler),
Don Jerome (Betrothal in a Monastery),
Fyodor, Gerard (War and Peace),
Dr. Caius (Falstaff)
Loge (Das Rheingold),
Mime (Siegfried),
 Herod (Salome).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Germany (Hamburg Opera), Spain, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland, Israel, Italy, the USA (Metropolitan Opera), France, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Korea, Portugal, Luxembourg, Turkey and the UK (Covent Garden).
 Since 1997, has performed in productions of Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina and The Gambler at New York´s Metropolitan Opera and Milan´s La Scala. Has performed as Herod in Salome at the Academia Santa Cecilia (Italy) and Santori Hall (Japan).

Recordings include: Betrothal in a Monastery, The Gambler, The Tsar´s Bride, The Maid of Pskov and Khovanshchina for Philips Classics.

Vasily Gorshkov
•Honoured Artist of Russia.
 •Prize-winner at the International Competition of Young Opera Singers (Perm, 1993).
 •Prize-winner at the All-Russian Vocalists´ Competition (Belgorod, 1991).

Born in Novosibirsk. Graduated from the Novosibirsk State Glinka Conservatoire in 1992. Soloist with the Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 1989.
 Made his Mariinsky Theatre debut in 1991 as Andrei in Tchaikovsky´s Mazepa. Mariinsky Theatre soloist in 1995.
 Soloist with the Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 1996 – 2000.
 Soloist with the St Petersburg State Academic Musorgsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 2000 – 2001.
 Soloist with the Krasnodar State Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 2001 – 2002.
 Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 2002.

Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Kuzka (Khovanshchina),
Vladimir Igorevich (Prince Igor),
Andrei (Mazepa),
Leshy (The Snow Maiden),
Sadko (Sadko),
Grisha Kuterma (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
Old Grandpa (The Tale of Tsar Saltan),
Semyon Kotko (Semyon Kotko),
Respected Colonel (The Nose),
Otello (Otello),
Loge (Das Rheingold).

Repertoire also includes: Andrei Khovansky, Golitsyn (Khovanshchina), Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Vaudemont (Iolanta), Herman (The Queen of Spades), Lykov (The Tsar´s Bride), Manrico (Il trovatore), Otello (Otello), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Jose (Carmen).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Theatre to the USA (Los Angeles).
 In 2001, took part in the Musorgsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet´s production of Puccini´s Tosca (as Cavaradossi) in Japan (Tokyo). Has toured to Egypt, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark.
 Has performed solo concerts in Sweden, Austria, Turkey, China and Italy.

Baritone
Vasily Gerello
•Honoured Artist of Russia.
•Prize-winner at the BBC International Opera Singers´ Competition (Cardiff, 1993).
•Prize-winner at the International Rimsky-Korsakov Young Opera Singers´ Competition (1st prize, St Petersburg, 1994).
•Recipient of the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg´s highest theatre prize (1999).
•Recipient of the Fortissimo music prize, founded by the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire ("Performing skills" category).

Born in Vaslovitsy in Chernovitsky Region (Ukraine). Graduated from the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1991 (class of Professor N. Serval). Was invited to join the Kirov (Mariinsky) Opera Company while still a fourth year student in 1990.

At the Mariinsky Theatre he has performed the roles of:
Pastor (Khovanshchina),
Shchelkalov (Boris Godunov),
Onegin (Eugene Onegin),
Robert (Iolanta),
Tomsky, Yeletsky (The Queen of Spades),
Pantalone (Love for Three Oranges),
Napoleon (War and Peace),
Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia),
Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor),
Giorgio Germont (La traviata),
Renato (Un ballo in maschera),
Don Carlo (La forza del destino),
Marquis of Posa (Don Carlo),
Macbeth (Macbeth),
Amonasro (Aida),
Ford (Falstaff),
Marcello (La bohème),
Valentin (Faust)
Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro),
Ford (Falstaff).

Repertoire also includes: the Duke (The Miserly Knight), Baleario (Salammbô), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Julius Caesar (Julius Caesar), Simon Boccanegra (Simon Boccanegra), Riccardo (I puritani), Alfio (La cavalleria rusticana), Filippo Maria Visconti (Beatrice di Tenda), Tonio (I pagliacci), Don Carlo (Ernani) and di Luna (Il trovatore).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Spain, Italy, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland (Mikkeli Festival), France and Portugal. Guest soloist with the world´s leading opera houses, among them the Opéra Bastille (Paris), the Semperoper (Dresden), the Deutsche Oper and the Staatsoper (Berlin), the Metropolitan Opera (New York), the Wiener Staatsoper, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London), La Fenice (Venice), the National Opera of Canada (Toronto), the Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), the Teatro San Paolo (Brazil), the Opera Santiago de Chile, La Scala (Milan) and opera houses in Amsterdam and Bergen.

Has a busy concert schedule. He has taken part in a concert by young soloists of Pacific Ocean nations at the San Francisco Opera, performed a solo programme at the Théâtre du Châtelet and sung a concert of bel canto music with the Symphony Orchestra of Belgium. Has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall) and London (Royal Albert Hall) with the Dallas and New York Symphony Orchestras. He has appeared with such outstanding conductors as Carlo Rizzi, Bernard Haitink, Myung-Whun Chung and Valery Gergiev and singers including Renée Fleming, Robert Lloyd, Luis Lima and Feruccio Furlanetto.

Edem Umerov
Born in Samarkand. Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1991 (class of Professors Steblianko, Okhotnikov and Zastavny).
 Lead soloist with the St Petersburg Chamber Opera Company from 1992.
 With the Mariinsky Theatre since 1998.

 Repertoire in the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
 Boris Godunov (Boris Godunov),
Mazepa (Mazepa),
Prince Nikita Kurlyatev, Ivan Zhuran (The Enchantress),
 Tomsky (The Queen of Spades),
Dolokhov, Denisov (War and Peace),
Macbeth (Macbeth),
 Amonasro (Aida);
Telramund (Lohengrin),
Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde),
Alberich (Das Rheingold, Siegfried),
Alberich, Gunther (Die Götterdämmerung),
Mandarin (Turandot);
the High Priest (Samson et Dalila);
 Jokanaan (Salome).

Repertoire also includes:
 Eugene Onegin (Eugene Onegin), Columbus (A. Smelkov´s Fifth Journey of Christopher Columbus), Geronimo (Il matrimonio segreto), Rigoletto (Rigoletto).

With the Mariinsky Theatre, he has toured to the UK (Covent Garden), Italy (La Scala, Ravenna Festival), Spain (the Teatro Real) and Germany (Baden-Baden).

Victor Chernomortsev
•Honoured Artist of Russia (1981).
 •Recipient of the Golden Mask, Russia´s highest theatre prize, for his interpretation of Alberich in Wagner´s Das Rheingold (2001).
 •Recipient of the Golden Sophit, St Petersburg´s highest theatre prize (2000).
 • Laureate of BALTIKA prize (2000).

Graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire (class of Professor V. G. Shushlin) and joined the Saratov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1973.
 Soloist with the Kuibyshev Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1974.
 Soloist with the Wiener Staatsoper from 1992.
 First performed at the Mariinsky Theatre as Scarpia in the 1994 premiere of Tosca, and he joined the company in 1995.

Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
Shaklovity (Khovanshchina), Prince Igor (Prince Igor), Apparition (Sadko), Grigory Gryaznoi (The Tsar´s Bride), Mazepa (Mazepa), Prince Nikita (The Enchantress), Tomsky and Zlatogor (The Queen of Spades),
Robert (Iolanta), the Emperor of China (The Nightingale), Tsarev (Semyon Kotko), Matveev (War and Peace), Giorgio Germont (La traviata), Renato (Un ballo in maschera), Marquis of Posa (Don Carlo),
Amonasro (Aida), Telramund (Lohengrin), Alberich (Das Rheingold, Götterdämmerung), Amfortas (Parsifal),
Jokanaan (Salome), Michele (Il tabarro).
Repertoire also includes: Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana), Rigoletto (Rigoletto), Di Luna (Il trovatore), Nabucco (Nabucco), Scarpia (Tosca), Gasparo (Rita, ou mari battu), Dikoj (Katya Kabanova).
Has toured with the Mariinsky Theatre throughout Europe, Israel, the USA and Japan.

Fyodor Mozhaev
Prizewinner (spetial diploma) of the Salome Krushelnitska International Vocal Competions in Lvov (1991).

Born in Lugansk. Graduated from the Kharkov Conservatoire (class of Prof. T. Weske) in 1978. In 1993 - 95 was a soloist of the Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow. Joined the Mariinksy Theatre in 1997.

His repertoire includes:
Eugene Onegin (Eugene Onegin), Robert (Iolanthe), Tomsky/Eletsky (The Queen of Spades), Mazeppa (Mazeppa), Lionel (The Maid of Orlean), Shaklovity (Khovanshchina), Grigori Griaznoy (The Tsar's Bride), Mizgir (The Snow Maiden), Demon (The Demon), Andrey Bolkonsky/ Napoleon (War and Peace), Ruprecht (The Fiery Angel), Francesco Foscari (I due Foscari), Iago (Otello), Renato (Un ballo in mascera), Il conte di Luna (Il trovatore), Giorgio Germont (La traviata), Nabucco (Nabucco), Amonasro (Aida), Alfio (Cavaleria rusticana), Marcello (La boheme), Scarpio (Tosca), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Silvio (I pagliacci), Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor), Eskamillo (Carmen), Valentin (Faust), Amfortas (Parsifal), Feodor Poyarok (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh), Donner/ Alberich (Das Rheingold), Dappertutto (Les contes d'Hofmann), Dutchman (Der fliegende Hollander), Telramund (Lohengrin), Simone (A Florentine Tragedy by A. Zemlinsky), Chief of Police (The Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District), Bells by S. Rakhmaninov, S. Gubaidulina's Johannes-Passion (2000), Uteshitelny (The Gamblers).

Has toured with the Mariinsky Company to the USA (Metropolitan Opera), Japan, France, Great Britain (Covent Garden), Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Finland, Italy (teatro alla Scala).

Bass
Mikhail Kit
Born in Kolomyia (Ukraine). Graduated from the Odessa Conservatoire in 1973. Was a soloist at the Perm Opera Theatre in 1973-1986.
Joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 1986.

People´s Artist of Russia (2002)
 Prizewinner of International Competitions (Gavana, 1977; Barcelona, 1978).

His repertory includes:  Boris Godunov / Pimen (Boris Godunov), Prince Igor / Galitsky (Prince Igor), Dosifei (Khovanshchina), Ivan Susanin (Ivan Susanin), Cherevik (Sorochintsy Fair), Kochubei (Mazeppa), Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Mephistopheles (Faust), Ramphis (Aida), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Iago (Otello), Denisov / Dolokhov/ Kutuzov (War and Peace), The King of Clubs (The Love for the Three Oranges), Sarastro (Die Zauberflote), Svetozar / Ruslan (Rulan and Lyudmila), King Rene (Iolanthe), Philip II (Don Carlo), Viking merchant (Sadko), Gurnemanz (Parsifal), Guardiano (La forza del destino), Heinrich der Vogler (Lohengrin), Wotan (Das Rheingold), Wotan (Die Walkure), Shaklovity (Khovanshchina).

Has toured with the Kirov Opera to the Edinburgh Festival, Metropolitan Opera House, Japan, Germany, France, Finland, Israel, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Lebanon among others. Sang the title role in the Kirov Opera-s Prince Igor Royal Gala at the Royal Albrecht Hall (1995).
 Has performed in Teatro La Scala, Milan; Teatro La Fenice, Venice; Royal Opera House among others. Kirov recordings include Boris Godunov, War and Peace, The Fiery Angel, and Prince Igor with Philips Classics.

Gennady Bezzubenkov
People´s Artist of Russia.
Recipient of the State Prize of Russia.
Awarded the Golden Sofit for his portrayal of Gurnemanz (Parsifal, 1997).
Awarded the Golden Mask, Russia´s highest theatre prize, for best male role in Wagner´s opera Parsifal (1998).
Recipient of the Baltika prize (2002).
Recipient of the Russian opera prize CASTA DIVA – singer of the year (2004).

 Born in Staraya Vitelevka, Ulyanovsk Region. Graduated from the Leningrad State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1979 (class of B. Lushin and N. Velter).
Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1989.

His repertoire includes over fifty roles, among them:
Ivan Susanin (A Life for the Tsar), Varlaam, Pimen (Boris Godunov), Ivan Khovansky (Khovanshchina), Konchak (Prince Igor), Prince Gudal (The Demon), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin), the Sea King (Sadko),
 Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
 Vasily Sobakin (The Tsar´s Bride), the bass role in Les Noces, Kutuzov (War and Peace), the Doctor (The Nose), Banco (Macbeth), Padre Guardiano, Alcalde (La forza del destino), Ramfis (Aida), Timur (Turandot), Commendatore (Don Giovanni), Don Alfonso (Cosí fan tutte), King Marke (Tristan und Isolde), Donner (Das Rheingold), Hunding (Die Walküre), Gurnemanz (Parsifal), Verdi´s Requiem, Mozart´s Requiem and Sofia Gubaidulina´s St John´s Passion. Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Germany, France, Scotland (the Edinburgh Festival), Israel, the USA (Metropolitan Opera), Finland, Italy, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Portugal, Luxembourg and Turkey.
 Audio and video recordings with the Mariinsky Theatre include War and Peace, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Iolanta, Sadko, The Fiery Angel and The Tsar´s Bride.

Alexander Morozov
Born in Leningrad. Graduated from the Leningrad State Conservatoire in 1983 (class of Professor Okhotnikov). Joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 1984.

Honoured Artist of Russia (2002).
 Competition awards include:
 the All-Union Glinka Vocal Competition (Minsk, 1981),
 the Rio de Janeiro International Competition (1983, Grand Prix),
 International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, 1986, 1st prize, Gold Medal, special prize).

Repertoire includes:
 Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Mephistopheles (Faust), Padre Guardiano (La Forza del destino), Zaccaria (Nabucco), Inquisitore (Don Carlos), Jokanaan (Salome), Count Rodolfo (La Sonnambula), Escamillo (Carmen), Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni), Fasolt (Das Rheingold), Coppelius / Dr Miracle (Les Contes d'Hoffmann), Requiem by Mozart, Requiem by Verdi and War Requiem by Britten.
 Boris Godunov / Pimen / Rangoni (Boris Godunov), Dosifei (Khovanshina), Prince Galitsky (Prince Igor), Kochubei (Mazepa), King Rene (Iolanta), Surin (The Queen of Spades), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Viking Merchant / Sea King (Sadko), The Storm Knight (Kashei the Immortal), Ruslan (Ruslan and Lyudmila), Tsar Ivan the Terrible (The Maid of Pskov), Burundai (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maid Fevronia).
 Inquisitor (The Fiery Angel), Peter I (Peter I), Old Gypsy (Aleko), the Emperor of China (The Nightingale), Old Convict (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Dmitry Shostakovich Symphony N 13.

Has toured with the Mariinsky Theatre in Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Austria (Salzburg Festival), Germany (Berliner Philarmonischer) France, Italy (Maggio Musicale, Florence), Japan, USA, Israel, Finland (Savonlinnafestival, Mikkeli Music Festival), Switzerland, Netherlands, Great Britain and Luxembourg.

Has performed as guest soloist at the Royal Opera House (London), Opéra Bastille, Amsterdam Opera, San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera, Teatro Colуn, Seattle Opera, Metropolitan Opera, National Opera of Israel (Tel Aviv), Arena di Verona, Öster und Sommer Festival Salzburg.

Has performed with conductors including Abbado, Gergiev, Dimitriady, Temirkanov, Ermler, Lazarev, Chernushenko, Dmitriev, Kolobov, Veltri and Sondetskis.

Recordings include: Boris Godunov, War and Peace, Kashei the Immortal, Love for Three Oranges (as Leander) (Philips Classics) and a solo CD of Classical Russian Romances (Im lab IML CD 017), CD V.Giordano "JlRE" (Nautilus) Milano-St Petersburg, S.Gorkovenko - Mugnajo (1999).

Vladimir Vaneev
Graduated from the Gorky Conservatoire in 1986 and joined the State Academic Maly Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Leningrad).

Honoured Artist of Russia.
 Winner of the State Prize of Russia.
 Has won All-Union, All-Russian and International Competitions including the Perm Singers´ Competition (1987, 2nd prize), the Verdi Voices competition (Italy, 1990, 3rd prize and prize for best bass), the Paris Singing Competition (1990, 2nd prize) and the Fyodor Chaliapin Competition (1993, Kazan, Grand Prix).

Repertoire includes:
Don Carlos (Philip II, Grand Inquisitor), Iolanta (Rene), Khovanshchina (Dosifei), Prince Igor (Galitsky, Konchak), Peter I (Peter I), Eugene Onegin (Gremin), The Queen of Spades (Zlatogor), Rigoletto (Monterone, Sparafucile).

Has been with the Mariinsky Theatre since 1997, where his repertoire includes: Boris Godunov, Pimen, Rangoni (Boris Godunov), Klingsor (Parsifal), Father Augustine (Betrothal in a Monastery), Ruslan (Ruslan and Lyudmila), Kochubei (Mazepa), Remenyuk (Semyon Kotko), the Dutchman (Der Fliegende Holländer) and Wotan (Das Rheingold and Die Walküre).

Has toured to the USA, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Poland, Israel and Turkey.

Has taken part in international productions including: Boris Godunov - Pimen (Venice, 1992); Don Carlos - Grand Inquisitor (Venice, 1993); Verdi´s Requiem (London, 1994); The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maid Fevronia (Austria, 1994); Boris Godunov - Pimen (Nice, 1996); Boris Godunov - Boris (Austria, 1997); Norma (Baltimore, 1998); Aida (Berlin, 1998); Boris Godunov (Metropolitan Opera, New York, 1998); Don Carlos (Naples, 1999); Tosca (Rome, 1999); Der Fliegende Holländer (Bologna, 1999); Sadko (Venice, 1999); Aida (Geneva, 1999); Iolanta (Naples, 1999); Don Carlos - Grand Inquisitor (Bonn, 2000); Iolanta (Monte Carlo, 2001); Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (Salzburg, 2001); Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (Barcelona, 2002); Boris Godunov (Lisbon, 2001); Iolanta (La Scala, Milan, 2002); Boris Godunov (La Scala, Milan, 2002).

Mikhail Petrenko
•Prize-winner at the International Rimsky-Korsakov Vocal Competition (St Petersburg, 2000).
•Diploma-winner at the Maria Callas New Verdi Voices Competition (Parma, 2000).
•Prize-winner at the International Elena Obraztsova Competition (St Petersburg, 2003).

Born in St Petersburg. Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (class of Professor Menzhilkiev). Trained at the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers. Made his Mariinsky Theatre debut as the Boy (Semyon Kotko in concert).
Mariinsky Theatre soloist from 2001.

Repertoire includes:
 Svetozar (Ruslan and Lyudmila),
 Konchak (Prince Igor),
 Old Servant of the Prince (The Demon),
 Surin (The Queen of Spades),
 Bediai (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
 Creon, Messenger (Oedipus Rex),
 the Inquisitor (The Fiery Angel),
 Ivasenko (Semyon Kotko),
 Father Augustine (Betrothal in a Monastery),
 Captain Ramballe, Tikhon Shcherbaty, Marshal Davout, Bennigsen, Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky (War and Peace),
 The King, Ramfis (Aida),
 Masetto (Don Giovanni),
 Daland (Der Fliegende Holländer),
 Fafner (Das Rheingold),
 Hunding (Die Walküre),
 Fafner,Hagen (Siegfried),
 Hagen (Götterdämmerung),
 Klingsor, Titurel (Parsifal).

Has given concerts at the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and the Konzerthaus (Vienna).хикъ In June 1999, was invited by the Prince of Wales to take part in a concert at St James´ Palace in London.

Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Great Britain (Covent Garden), Italy (La Scala), Spain (Teatro Real), France (Théâtre du Châtelet), Japan (Santory Hall), Germany (Baden-Baden Festival), Austria (Salzburg Festival) and Australia (Melbourne Festival).

Made his Metropolitan Opera debut (New York) in the 2001-2002 season.

Fyodor Kuznetsov
Prize-winner at the All-Russian Vocalists´ Competition (Perm, 1987).

 Recipient of the St Petersburg Mayor´s Prize for Art (1994).

 Born in Sverdlovsk. Graduated from the vocal faculty of the Nizhny Novgorod State Glinka Conservatoire in 1989 (class of Professor Krestinsky).

 Soloist with the St Petersburg State Academic Musorgsky Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1987-96.

 Made his Mariinsky Theatre debut in 1996 as Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Mariinsky Theatre soloist from the same year.

Repertoire includes:
 Farlaf (Ruslan and Lyudmila),
 Boris Godunov,
 Pimen,
 Varlaam (Boris Godunov),
 Dosifei (Khovanshchina),
 Konchak (Prince Igor),
 Gremin (Eugene Onegin),
 Orlik (Mazepa),
 Duda (Sadko),
 Malyuta Skuratov (The Tsar´s Bride),
 Prince Yuri,
 Burundai (The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia),
 Inquisitor (The Fiery Angel),
 Tkachenko (Semyon Kotko),
 Mendoza (Betrothal in a Monastery),
 Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky, Marshal Davout, Bennigsen (War and Peace),
 Philip II, Grand Inquisitor (Don Carlo),
 the King of Egypt,
 Ramfis (Aida),
 Lindorf, Miracle (Les Contes d´Hoffmann),
 Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni),
 Daland (Der Fliegende Holländer),
 Wotan, Fafner (Das Rheingold),
 Hunding (Die Walküre)
 and Klingsor, Titurel (Parsifal).

 Has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company to Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), London (Covent Garden), Milan (La Scala), New York (Metropolitan Opera), Buenos Aires (Teatro Colon), Paris (Théâtre des Champs Elysées) and Madrid (Teatro Real).

 Has performed the roles of Varlaam (Boris Godunov, Festspielhaus, Salzburg, and the Stuttgart Staatstheater), Klingsor, Titurel (Parsifal, Municipal Theatre, Santiago), Priest (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Teatro Real, Madrid, and the Prinzregent Theater, Munich) and Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni, Los Angeles Opera and Washington Opera). In November 2004, took part in a concert by the Baltika Kremerata conducted by Gedon Kremer at Carnegie Hall (Shostakovich´s Fourteenth Symphony).

 Recordings include Boris Godunov and Betrothal in a Monastery (Philips Classics), Karoena de Zeemirmin by Bindewin Bucking and romances and poems by Shostakovich for Vox Tempory.