The new prima of world opera

Hello ATS!

You all know me as an old rocker, a lover of English rock of the 60-70s, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Uriah Heap and other monsters of rock music. But actually I'm also a fan of classical music. Today I want to introduce you, dear ATS colleagues, to a wonderful young opera singer, my friend, a very beautiful woman, super soprano, rising star Ekaterina Konicheva



Before Catherine, the prima soprano of Russian opera was Anna Netrebko. But unfortunately, Anna became a victim of the cancelation of Russian culture that now dominates the West. Anna “broke”, condemned Russia, and instantly lost all her popularity in her homeland. but in the West it never became “one of our own”. She was “liquidated” like an opera singer, she became a stranger in Russia, and did not become “one of her own” in the West. This is natural when a person betrays his Motherland and his roots.

But renegades are always replaced by more talented and beautiful ones. Netrebko is replaced by the beautiful Katya Konicheva.



Ekaterina Konicheva was born in Moscow. She graduated from the Children's Art School No. 61 named after D. S. Bortnyansky, majoring in piano (1999) and vocals (2006). In 2008 she graduated with honors from the Moscow State University of Design and Technology, Faculty of Economics and Management. From 2007 to 2009 she studied at GITIS (RATI) at the faculty of musical theater, in the workshop of professor, People's Artist R. G. Viktyuk. She graduated from the Galina Vishnevskaya Center for Opera Singing (2009-2011) and the Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky (2008 -2013), class of professor, People's Artist of the RSFSR I. I. Maslennikova.

On the stage of the Opera Singing Center she performed the roles of Michaela (Carmen by J. Bizet, 2010) and Tatiana (Eugene Onegin by P. I. Tchaikovsky, 2011).

From 2012 to 2014 she was a trainee soloist at the Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. On the stage of the theater she performed the role of Tamara (The Demon by A. G. Rubinstein). In 2015 she was a soloist at the Novaya Opera Theater. In 2015, she performed the role of Tatiana in the opera “Eugene Onegin” in the semi-stage format (director Polina Bertin, conductor Mikhail Simonyan).

In 2014 and 2015 she gave solo concerts on the stage of the Small Hall and the Big Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky.

In 2016, in the Great Hall of the Conservatory, she took part in a concert dedicated to the memory of maestro Claudio Abbado and Romano Gandolf “Legends of Italian Opera” - soloist Ekaterina Konicheva, Academic Grand Choir “Masters of Choral Singing”, conductor Marcello Rota.

In 2017 and 2019 she performed a solo program as part of the Nikolai Petrov International Festival. In 2017 she performed solo concerts “From Norway to Italy” at the F.I. Chaliapin Memorial Estate and the Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow Conservatory as part of the “Vocal Evenings” subscription. In 2018, she took part in a charity concert together with the Radio Vera radio station. In 2018, she took part in a concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of L. Bernstein (soloists: Ekaterina Konicheva, Sergei Spiridonov, conductor Vyacheslav Valeev). In 2019, the singer gave solo concerts at the Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory and in Naples (piano part by Simonetta Tancredi). In 2019 she performed the role of Aida (Aida) by G. Verdi (Milan).

Participated in master classes: Eugene Cohn (Metropolitan Opera, New York), Tito Capobianca (Metropolitan Opera, New York), Kathleen Kelly (San Francisco Opera, California), Evgenia Nesterenko (Bolshoi Theater, Moscow), Makvala Kasrashvili (Bolshoi Theater, Moscow), Zurab Sotkilava (Bolshoi Theater, Moscow), John Fisher (Metropolitan Opera, New York), Michael Paul (Metropolitan Opera, New York), Eleonora Pacetti (Rome Opera, Italy), Lucetta Bisi , Elisabetta Battagli (La Scala, Italy), Mauro Trombetta (Rome Opera, Italy), Salvatore Fisichella (La Scala, Italy).

The singer's repertoire includes the following roles: Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Iolanta (Iolanta), Lisa (The Queen of Spades, all by P.I. Tchaikovsky), Marfa (The Tsar's Bride), Tsarina Militrisa (The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, both by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov), Tamara (“The Demon” by A.G. Rubinstein), Michaela (“Carmen” by J. Bizet), Margarita (“Faust” by C. Gounod), Tosca (“ Tosca"), Madame Butterfly ("Madame Butterfly"), Mimi ("La Bohème", all by G. Puccini), Elizabeth ("Tannhäuser" by R. Wagner), Aida ("Aida" by G. Verdi).

Also in the repertoire: romances, arias and duets by Russian and foreign composers, Russian and foreign pop songs, a cycle of songs about the Great Patriotic War.

The singer is the first performer of the cycle of romances by A. V. Samonov based on poems by N. S. Gumilyov.

Continued below...

Laureate of the Moscow festival of student creativity “Festos, Voice Academy” (2007, 2010, Moscow).
Laureate of the international student vocal competition “Bella voce” (2010, Moscow).
Laureate of the XII Moscow Open Youth Academic Solo Singing Competition “Dedicated to Chaliapin” (1st prize, 2014, Moscow).
Diploma winner of the XXVII Sobinov Music Festival (special prize at the competition of vocalists - winners of All-Russian and International competitions, 2014, Saratov).
Diploma winner of the Moscow International Competition “Maryinskaya Romansiada” (“Best Voice of the Competition” 2014, Moscow).
Diploma winner (gold diploma) of the XVII International Festival-Competition Chorus inside Russia. (2015, Moscow).
Laureate of the International Forum of Classical Music (1st degree, 2019, Moscow).

Excuse me, but Ekaterina is my friend, and I share my friendship with you.







Enjoy!

Thank you!

a reply to: RussianTroll

Vissi D'arte is one of the most exquisite arias ever written, imo. She does a lovely job with it.
I just had the pleasure of seeing Tosca in a world-class opera house (Santa Fe Opera) recently.
I like rock and opera too.


ETA: I have to say that Ave Maria is especially beautiful, too. I'm still working my way through the songs.

I was brought up in a very eclectic home when it came to music, mainly because of my father. On my Mother's side, my grandfather, all his siblings and their mother were all opera singers. The talent must have skipped 2 generations as I can't sing for toffee!
Anyway, some of our music education included trips to the Opera. In those days it was long dresses for women and men in dicky bows. The daughter of our neighbours was the Prima for the Welsh National Opera and trained at La Scalla in Milan!!! She used to come to our house to practice as we had a piano..... but her parents, strangely, didn't!
I love Rock music too and to me, Rock and Opera are the same, but coming from oposite polarities. Hope that makes sense.
You are very lucky to have her as your friend.
Rainbows
Jane

a reply to: angelchemuel

Jane, we are on the same wavelength)))

a reply to: zosimov

Classical music is very popular in Russia, and tickets to amazing concerts cost several dollars in the provinces. The halls are always full, and art lovers always find an opportunity to enjoy)))

I remember reading about Anna Netrebko. She was a personal friend of Vladimir Putin's, otherwise known here in the evil West as Vlad the Impaler.

She got a lot of heat for going into Occupied Crimea and draping herself in the Russian rebel flag in support of the occupation. She was always very, very pro Russia until she started losing jobs in the West.

Then in 2021 she changed her tune, started distancing herself from Putin and also condemned the war in Ukraine:

“I expressly condemn the war against Ukraine and my thoughts are with the victims of this war and their families,” she wrote.

That was a big deal, particularly expressly calling it 'war' and standing with the 'victims.'

I am guessing she is now not so much a friend of Putin's any more. I don't think she'll suffer any accidents... yet. But Putin definitely needs a new national star who is more loyal. Hope your friend gets it. Would she be more loyal than Netrebko?

Beautiful voice. Sounds like a mezzo soprano.

a reply to: Mahogani

I am not aware of Putin’s relationship with Natrebko. But I am aware of the relationship between the Russian people and Netrebko.

a reply to: RussianTroll

Yeah it's long documented, which is why she lost jobs in the West. She was photographed at events with Putin, very cozy with him, has long supported him politically. Has made donations in support, has donated money to projects in occupied Crimea and so on.

All that stopped in 2021 and then she became a pariah for taking a pro-Ukraine stance.

Link Link Link Link

Her links to Putin are very well known. She lost some jobs because she was asked to repudiate Putin in particular and she would not do it.

Maybe she'll start getting jobs back in the west eventually.

How do the regular Russians feel about her?

originally posted by: Mahogani
a reply to: RussianTroll

Is she still a star in Russia or has her fame diminished after this? How do the Russians feel about her?

Here, I just looked it up myself. She hasn't been back to Russia, plans on doing no concerts in Russia and she currently lives in Austria. I don't think Putin will let her back in after this. In his view, she's probably no longer Russian.

In a recent announcement explaining its decision to cast Ms Netrebko, the opera stressed the importance of distinguishing between her actions before and after the outbreak of the war.

"Since the outbreak of the war, Anna Netrebko has not accepted any engagements in Russia and her management has confirmed to us that there are still no plans for any appearances in Russia," it said.

It looks like she's starting to get jobs back in the West.

a reply to: Mahogani

All the "highly likely" conversations are just ridiculous. There are no facts, only speculation, and no one even asks the opinion of Netrebko’s husband, the famous opera singer Yusif Eyvazov.

I am not interested in Putin's relationship with any woman. He has the right to his personal life and does not connect it with politics. All rumors about him are “spreading cranberries”. In Russia he is loved and considered a great leader who led the country from disaster to world leader. This is the kind of national leader I wish for every nation, including the American one. Unfortunately, in the West there are only clowns and freaks in power (((

a reply to: RussianTroll

And I support your views, we all hold such views about our own countries.

What I am discussing is the need to also share values and principles. It is not enough just to have a good voice to be a star in the west, you also have to share our values and principles. When Netrebko was supporting war and occupation, she had no jobs. Now that she is condemning all that, she is getting jobs back, but she's no longer inside Putin's circle of trust. And she doesn't travel to Russia.

Your friend has a magnificent voice, she'll be huge in Russia it seems. Wish her all the best. But for her sake, and ours, because I would love to hear her more in the west, I hope she does not endorse the war or Putin. That will limit her talent to a much smaller audience.

a reply to: Mahogani

Thank you! I will definitely convey your warm wishes to Ekaterina))

originally posted by: RussianTroll
a reply to: Mahogani

Thank you! I will definitely convey your warm wishes to Ekaterina))

Please do. And tell her I hope she stays completely apolitical. Do not endorse anyone.

Just sing.