The Opera Centre’s team gathered on September 7, 2020 on the eve of the new theatre and concert season opening. The meeting was attended by the first and second years students, teachers, accompanists and all the team members. Olga Rostropovich — the Opera Centre’s Artistic Director, has greeted the audience in the hall and has spoken about the plans for the new season.
Charles Gounod’s opera Faust, which saw its premiere in May 2004, will be renewed in November. The artistic director of the production was Galina Vishnevskaya herself. The performance was highly acclaimed by critics and warmly received by the audience.
Alexey Tikhomirov, who performed the part of Mephistopheles in the original production, has made an impressive career over the years. He is currently a soloist at the Helikon-Opera and Novaya Opera, he sings at the world’s major opera venues. He’s been invited to perform as Mephistopheles in the resumed production. The soloist shared his memories of the first production, told about his reverent attitude towards Galina Vishnevskaya, and guided the new students towards hard work. Starting this season, Alexey Tikhomirov will teach vocals at the Opera Centre.
The premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s La Rondine (The Swallow) opera, which has not been staged in Russia, is scheduled for the end of February 2021.
The meeting was concluded by the Deputy Artistic Director for Educational Process — Nina Skorikova, who wished the students endurance, strength and an unquenchable desire for knowledge on behalf of the Studies Office and the entire teaching staff, and then also urged everyone to comply with the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor.