Graduates’ gala concert took place on June 30 at the Opera Centre: 13 students have completed their studies which lasted for 2 years. The audience was presented a vivid concert program: each of the soloists has demonstrated his vocal and artistic gifts and professional skills, obtained during the training at the Centre.
The festive diploma-awarding ceremony was held several days before, on June 26th. The Artistic director, Olga Rostropovich, has warmly welcomed young singers; in her farewell she has congratulated the graduates, wishing them dazzling success, luck and inspiration; she has also thanked with all her heart her colleagues – the Centre’s teachers for their work.
Badri Maisuradze, Anatoly Loshak, Vladislav Verestnikov, Pyotr Gluboky have congratulated their pupils. Badri Maisuradze has spoken a word of gratitude to Galina Vishnevskaya, whose unseen presence is felt by every student and teacher, doing their best to continue traditions established by her.
Graduates, in turn, spoke words of gratitude to teachers who taught them not only vocal skills but also developed their personal basis, which is indispensable to an opera singer establishment. The video-recordings, depicting the performance of each of them, were peculiar illustrations to the graduation ceremony, bringing in memory the moments of this or that concert or performance. By tradition, this final event will not be the final for the graduates – they will come back to the Opera Centre, which is considered to be their second home by many; and some of the graduates will continue their studies upon the decision by the Artistic director and the teachers’ council.