Feedback. The Bolshoi Theater of Russia announces an additional enrollment of participants in the youth opera program

13.03.2017 13:52

Grand Theatre will hold additional set participants for the season 2017/18 in the Youth opera program, the press service of the theater reported.

“The Youth Opera Program announces an additional recruitment of participants for the 2017/18 season as a soloist-vocalist (from two to four places). Performers born in 1983 to 1997, with incomplete or completed higher education are allowed to participate in competitive auditions in the program music education", - the message says.

It is specified that auditions will be held in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Minsk, Chisinau and a number of Russian cities. Acceptance of applications for participation in the competition will begin in mid-April 2017 on the theater website and ends three calendar days before the audition date in each city, the deadline for submitting applications for auditions in Moscow is five calendar days. Auditions for the first round will be held in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Chisinau, Minsk, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, and Moscow.

“At each stage of the auditions, the participant must submit to the commission at least two arias - the first one at the request of the singer, the rest - at the choice of the commission from the repertoire list provided by the contestant earlier in the questionnaire and including five prepared arias. The list of arias must include arias in three or more languages, of course - Russian, Italian, French and/or German. All arias listed in the list must be performed in the original language,” the press service explained.

Auditions for the second round will be held in Moscow, at the Bolshoi Theater on June 24 and 26. As specified, the number of participants in the second round will be no more than 40 people. Auditions for the third round will take place in Moscow, at historical stage Bolshoi Theatre. The number of participants in the third round is no more than 20 people.

In October 2009, the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia established the Youth Opera Program, under which young singers and pianists from Russia and the CIS take a professional development course. For several years, young artists who entered the program based on the results of competitive auditions have been studying various academic disciplines, including vocal lessons, master classes famous singers and tutors, teaching foreign languages, stage movement and acting skills. In addition, each of the participants of the Youth Program has extensive stage practice, playing roles in premiere and current productions of the theater, as well as preparing various concert programs.

Artists and graduates of the Youth Opera Program perform at the largest venues in the world, such as the Metropolitan Opera (USA), Royal Opera Covent Garden (Great Britain), La Scala Theater (Italy), Berlin state opera(Germany), german opera in Berlin (Germany), the Paris National Opera (France), the Vienna State Opera (Austria), etc. Many graduates of the Youth Opera Program have joined the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia or become guest soloists of the theater.

In September in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Saratov, Rostov-on-Don, Minsk, Kyiv and Yerevan are scheduled auditions for a new, rather intriguing project of the Bolshoi Theater - the Youth Opera Program. To begin with, it is planned to select eight singers and two accompanists, who will be adapted to difficult life inside the main theater of the country. Details are provided by the newly appointed artistic director program Dmitry Vdovin, who in recent years has become a leader in educating young voices with successful Western careers.

In principle, this system was created in the world more than thirty years ago. Since the 1970s, such programs have existed in major theaters world, and now even in small, so-called theaters of group B.

Why are they so tenacious and successful? Because the interests of theaters and the interests of young singers coincide. Theaters are interested in promising soloists, at the same time these artists perform small parts, that is, some kind of help for the theater. And for young soloists… what, in fact, is their problem? Between the conservatory and work in the theater, they have several very dangerous years- when a person is not yet ready for great career. These years are often crisis years for young singers.

On the one hand, the singer may, as they say, not get into the stream - if, let's say, he is not very successful in competitions, if he does not have a good agent. On the other hand, there is a danger that he will be taken to the theater, loaded early with a heavy repertoire, and in a few years he will go to waste. Even great theaters often push the artist to rash acts. Then his career will also be in jeopardy.

Therefore, for this period - approximately this is the age of 23-28 years (depending on the type of voice, gender) - youth programs are most welcome. That is, the singers in them mature, or something. Like an apple on the windowsill, in the sun.

What will they do in the Youth Program of the Bolshoi Theater besides, as I understand it, performing small parts?

Well it's only First stage. Approximately one year after entering the program, they should already at least insure the main performers (that is, be ready to replace the soloist in case of illness or other unforeseen situation. - OS). And for this you need to prepare these parties. They will have a permanent vocal teacher for this - in this situation they called me. And we will use the full potential of the theater, as well as those who tour in it, we will invite teachers from all over the world. There aren't many of them.

Read full text - It is believed that not every repertoire is suitable for young voices, but easier - Mozart, bel canto. How will they insure what is on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater?

Well, whatever. If a young man of twenty-three years old should sing Boris Godunov, then this is nonsense. But we still have an age range from 20 to 35. And people will be different. Although there will be few of them - this, by the way, is the difference between our concept and the Mariinsky. There they have a fairly crowded academy. And we will have somewhere from 8 to 12 people in the first year.

But in general, your question is at the root. The repertoire really depends on the age. A person must grow in the repertoire. Those who at the age of 25 want to immediately start with strong parts, at 35 have nothing to sing - the limit has been reached, there is nowhere to jump, voice problems begin. Therefore, the Youth Program should have its own repertory stories - maybe concert performances, separate scenes from operas. And later, if the budget allows, these may be their own productions with a more lyrical repertoire than usual at the Bolshoi Theater.

- Do you take only those with higher education?

Of course, it is desirable that a person has already graduated from the conservatory and is mature enough. But often people who have not completed higher educational establishments are already snapped up. I myself have come across this: I didn’t have time to bring a person to a diploma, but they grabbed him here, grabbed him there, invited him to a youth program in the West. And it turns out that he cannot finish the conservatory - he is already leaving. And if he graduated from the conservatory, then what does a young singer do in Russia? He starts going to competitions, looking for an agent, and eventually leaves too.

So why else do you need Youth program? It's a bastion to keep talented people around the Bolshoi Theater in order to interest them, to give them opportunities that were not there before.

- Have we already lost many young singers?

We lost them, we are losing them and, unfortunately, we will lose them for some time. Look how many tenors left Moscow for recent years five. The troupes are just getting naked.

And it seems to me that in order to keep these young people, it is necessary to negotiate with them in advance - 3-4 years in advance. And accordingly, the theater repertoire should be compiled in advance. This, in general, is not very good, because only God knows how this singer will sing in four years. And it often happens that the singer signed the contract, and then lost his voice. Or is it no longer a soprano, but a mezzo-soprano.

- And then what to do?

Deal with the problem. But nothing can be done - this is international practice. By the way, this started not too long ago. Literally 30 years ago. Prior to this, contracts were concluded for six months, a maximum of a year.

What do you think about career contemporary singer the main thing is a good agent, competitions, participation in such a youth program?

There is no clear answer. First, we must start with the fact that there are practically no agents in Russia. We do not have salaries from which agents could take interest and live on them. The market in the country has not yet formed. There are agents who send our singers to the West. But living here, it is impossible to be a good Western agent. We have only one such person (meaning Alexander Ivanovich Gusev, through whom a significant part Russian singers working with the West. - OS), but it is unique.

Therefore, Russian singers have a slightly different situation than in the West. They cannot rely on the generally accepted scheme: they sang an audition - they found an agent - they immediately found a job. They must combine: if they want to work in the West - to catch these agents during their stay in Moscow, to go to the competition in order to arouse some interest among the members of the jury and the agents present there. And there are people who generally want to work in Moscow - not everyone likes to live on suitcases, some need stability, they are quite satisfied with a stationary troupe.

Although, of course, almost everyone is ambitious, everyone wants to sing at La Scala, the Metropolitan, the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky.

- Especially now the situation is such that stationary troupes are far from being everywhere ...

Well, in general, life takes its toll and shows that a stationary troupe for such a theater that claims to be international is no longer very suitable. Basically, now there are combined options for stationary and contract systems - often very successful.

It used to be this practice. Some of my colleagues even began to laugh at me, they say, the soviet approach is to travel around cities and towns and look for talents. This is said to be unproductive. Nothing like this. For example, in America for this there is Metropolitan Council- this is an absolutely Soviet system, when an annual competition takes place: first in each state, then in the region, then in huge regions and as a result - the semi-final and final on the stage of the Metropolitan itself.

Houston also has an annual contest, in February. And in front of him, the director of the Youth Program and representatives of the theater travel all over the country. Just like we used to recruit boys to the choir or to the Moscow Choreographic School. They have it all! Moreover, in the Metropolitan and in Houston, as well as in San Francisco and in some other theaters, they have international youth programs. Of course, the base is made up of Americans, but they also invite foreigners. And in " Lyric opera» Chicago is the second theater in America - a youth program for Americans only.

As for the Bolshoi Theatre, I believe that it is an international theatre. He has a very difficult task - to be a citadel national repertoire and at the same time a major international troupe. After all, there are not so many theaters like this, because there are not so many national opera composer schools: Italian, French, German, Russian, and, well, more private ones - Czech, young American. Here are six, that's all.

And the main theaters of only these countries should combine these two tasks. Which is quite difficult, especially for the Bolshoi Theatre. Because the Russian repertoire is not easy, it is only in recent decades that it has begun to seriously enter into international practice. Prior to this, appeals to him were targeted.

And in order to combine these two tasks, we must, just like, say, the Italians, endure foreigners singing the Russian repertoire. And to create such a situation that foreigners sang the Russian repertoire in Russia. Which we don't have yet.

- There were several precedents in Chernyakov's "Onegin" ...

Well, those were the first steps. And the Youth Program, by the way, can help with this. If someday there - albeit in small numbers - there will be Italians, Poles, Americans, Englishmen who have an interest in the Russian repertoire, why not?

- Are scholarships offered?

Yes, program participants must receive a scholarship that would be enough to lead a decent life in Moscow. This is the original condition. They shouldn't run around with their tongues hanging out on hacks.

- That is, earnings are excluded?

Well, this will be monitored: everything is only in agreement with the Youth Program Directorate.

I know that such programs in the West are very great attention given to the chamber repertoire, which our opera singers are usually not interested.

We will definitely have it too. Therefore, we will try to invite the so-called coaches - coaches, pianists who specialize in the chamber repertoire. Because without the chamber repertoire there is no opera either: the work with the text that goes in the chamber repertoire is necessary for opera stage. And partly this skill is lost.

- You are recruiting two more concertmasters for your program ...

Yes, this is a pain point. We have a lot of accompanists, but there are practically no coaches who would know languages, styles, international repertoire.

- Do they need to understand the technology of singing?

Well, this is a matter of personal choice - someone climbs into it, someone does not.

- But in principle, these are normal pianists who graduated from the conservatory?

Yes, who want to work in the operatic repertoire. Because this, of course, is a completely different sphere than solo performance.

- And how can they be selected? Listen to them play "Appassionata"?

They will play solo repertoire, they will accompany, they will read from a sheet. And there will be an interview to check if this is really a sincere interest in opera or just an attempt to settle down somewhere. Opera must be loved, vocalists must be loved - it is difficult to love them, but it is necessary.

Competition procedure

First tour:

. Audition in Tbilisi, Georgian Opera and Ballet Theatre. Z. Paliashvili - June 1, 2017

APPLICATIONS ENDED ON MAY 28. The schedule of auditions in Tbilisi was sent out to e-mail. Those applicants who did not receive the schedule, please report it to the e-mail address [email protected]

. Audition in Yerevan, Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas - June 3, 2017

APPLICATIONS ENDED ON MAY 30. The schedule of auditions in Yerevan was sent by e-mail. Those applicants who did not receive the schedule, please report it to the e-mail address [email protected]

. Audition in Chisinau, Academy of Music, Theater and fine arts- June 4, 2017

APPLICATION CLOSED ON MAY 31st. The schedule of auditions in Chisinau was sent by e-mail. Those applicants who did not receive the schedule, please report it to the e-mail address [email protected]

Audition in Minsk, Belarusian State Academic Musical Theatre- June 10, 2017
(Last date for applications is June 6, 2017)

Audition in Yekaterinburg, Ural State Conservatory. M. P. Mussorgsky — June 12, 2017
(Last date for applications is June 8, 2017)

Audition in Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk academic theater Opera and Ballet - June 14, 2017
(Last date for applications is June 10, 2017)

Audition in St. Petersburg, Palace of the Studying Youth of St. Petersburg - June 17 and 18, 2017
(Last date for applications is June 13, 2017)

Auditions in Moscow, Bolshoi Theater - from 21 to 23 June 2017
(Last day for applications - June 15, 2017)

The participant comes to the audition with his own accompanist, after filling out electronic questionnaire on the website. In Moscow, for non-resident participants, upon prior request, the theater provides an accompanist.

At each stage of the auditions, the participant must submit to the commission at least two arias - the first at the request of the singer, the rest - at the choice of the commission from the repertoire list provided by the contestant earlier in the questionnaire and including 5 prepared arias. The list of arias must include arias in three or more languages, necessarily Russian, Italian, French and/or German. All arias in the list must be sung in the original language. The Commission reserves the right to listen to fewer or more arias.

The number of participants in the first round is not limited.

Second round:

Audition in Moscow, at the Bolshoi Theater - June 24 and 26. The participant comes to the audition with his own accompanist (for non-resident participants, the theater provides an accompanist upon prior request). The participant must submit two or three arias to the commission - the first at the request of the singer, the rest - at the choice of the commission from the repertoire list prepared for the first round. All arias in the list must be sung in the original language. The Commission reserves the right to ask less or more quantity aria.

The number of participants in the second round is no more than 40 people.

Third round:

1. Audition in Moscow, on the Historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater - 27th of June.
The participant comes to the audition with his own accompanist (for non-resident participants, the theater provides an accompanist upon prior request). The participant must present to the commission one or two arias according to the preliminary selection of the commission (based on the results of the 2nd round) from his repertoire list.
2. Lesson/interview with program leaders.

Quantity III tour - no more than 20 people.

For advice on participation in auditions, please contact by e-mail [email protected] .

YOUTH OPERA PROGRAM OF THE BOLSHOI THEATER

In October 2009, the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia established the Youth Opera Program, under which young singers and pianists from Russia and the CIS take a professional development course. For several years, young artists who entered the program based on the results of competitive auditions have been studying various academic disciplines, including vocal lessons, master classes by famous singers and tutors, teaching foreign languages, stage movement and acting skills. In addition, each of the participants of the Youth Program has an extensive stage practice, playing roles in the premiere and current productions of the theater, as well as preparing various concert programs.

Throughout the years of the existence of the Youth Program, the largest professionals in the field have worked with the participants operatic art: singers - Elena Obraztsova, Evgeny Nesterenko, Irina Bogacheva, Maria Gulegina, Makvala Kasrashvili, Carol Vaness (USA), Neil Schicoff (USA), Kurt Riedl (Austria), Natalie Dessay (France), Thomas Allen (Great Britain); pianists - Giulio Zappa (Italy), Alessandro Amoretti (Italy), Larisa Gergieva, Lyubov Orfenova, Mark Lawson (USA, Germany), Brenda Hurley (Ireland, Switzerland), John Fisher (USA), George Darden (USA); conductors - Alberto Zedda (Italy), Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia), Mikhail Yurovsky (Russia), Giacomo Sagripanti (Italy); directors - Francesca Zambello (USA), Paul Curran (USA), John Norris (USA), etc.

Artists and graduates of the Youth Opera Program perform at the largest venues in the world, such as the Metropolitan Opera (USA), Royal Opera Covent Garden (Great Britain), La Scala Theater (Italy), Berlin State Opera (Germany), Deutsche Oper Berlin (Germany) , the Paris National Opera (France), the Vienna State Opera (Austria), etc. Many graduates of the Youth Opera Program joined the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia or became guest soloists of the theater.

The artistic director of the Youth Opera Program is Dmitry Vdovin.

While studying in the program, its participants are paid a scholarship; Hostels are provided for out-of-town participants.

Auditions for the Youth Opera Program of the Bolshoi Theater continue. Singers who have passed the competition will have a two-year professional training course: vocal lessons, acting skills, master classes by famous teachers. In addition, each of the program participants plays roles in the productions of the Bolshoi, sometimes duplicating the main performers. opera troupe. 30 candidates made it to the second round. tell

Search best voices started back in May. Auditions were held not only in Moscow, St. Petersburg, but also in Krasnoyarsk, Chisinau, Minsk. The hottest in terms of the number of disputes was the second round. In the classes of the Atrium of the Bolshoi Theater, everyone's abilities are evaluated with particular predilection.

“The worst thing is to stand at the door, and those people who will sing here later and wait are much worse than being the first,” says Alexander Murashov, a student of the Gnessin Academy of Music.

Alexander Murashov, like many here, is still studying. For him, this competition is an occasion to once again speak in public, to test his strength. As well as for Alexander Mikhailov - a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. It is the first time he takes part in such shows.

“The hardest part is coping with nervous system, because this is a test - and this test causes excitement, ”says a student of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Rimsky-Korsakov Alexander Mikhailov.

Many people have been preparing for this competition for years: they listen to records, do not only vocals, but also acting, foreign language. However, even a month is enough for some: Anzhelika Minasova, taking into account the wishes of the first round, managed to prepare a new repertoire in a month.

“It was necessary to rebuild from what I sang before to what was recommended to me, so this a short time”, explains Anzhelika Minasova, a student of the Moscow State Institute of Music named after Schnittke.

Of the 30 participants, only four lucky ones will remain. Although Dmitry Vdovin, artistic director of the Bolshoi Youth Opera Program, does not exclude additional places. The selection criteria are not only artistry and natural talent, the selection committee must take into account the timbre priorities of the Bolshoi Theater repertoire.

“Naturally, the theater has its own needs, so the results of the competition are not the results of a quality selection, because quality is the most main criterion, but we have production needs, we have a repertoire,” said Dmitry Vdovin, artistic director of the Youth Opera Program of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.

The names of the new participants in the Bolshoi Youth Opera Program will soon become known, within the framework of which the chosen ones will improve their skills over the course of two years. In perspective, each of them has a long-term contrast with Bolshoi Theater Russia.

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