MOSCOW BOLSHOI YOUNG ARTISTS

My friend Mischa (not to be confused with Measha, but both pronounced

the same way!) had asked if I could help him with the new young

artists' program he was involved with at the Bolshoi Opera. He was the

young impresario who asked me for my first concert in Moscow a few

years back, and has become a good friend over the ensuing years. So

I became one of the consultants for the program, advising him on

structure, content and international coaches, and especially - OTHER

people to ask advice from besides me! He asked me if I might have

time to come to Moscow to work with the young artists sometime, as

they need new input from outside the regular Russian circle of

coaches, etc.. which has become a bit insular over the years. Jumping

at a chance to get more experience teaching, I used a week of my free

time to go to Moscow. I figured it'd be great to get to see how I

liked teaching people on a high level, help out the young artists with

whatever I could provide in know-how, experience or ideas, and it

would help Mischa's status within the theater, as I seem to be a big

deal in Moscow. Because of Mischa, no doubt!

My lizard face hadn't even begun to subside when I came down with a 

doozy of a flu, so I had to reschedule my trip about three times! All 

I could do was write on Facebook what my temperature was, blow my 

nose, drink water and moan. For some reason, moaning in bed actually 

made me feel better. Don't ask why. After a bunch of hulabaloo for 

my visa (they didn't want to give me an expedited visa at the Russian 

Consulate here in Italy because I'm not European), I got it thanks to some pulled strings and headed 

off to snowy Moscow.

Anyhoot, the young singers were spectacular! I didn't want to say it 

while I was there, as I wanted them to work hard, but they were all 

very special artists and very advanced - all on the road to having 

good if not great careers. Mischa, Dima and Catherine have put together a great group. 

Not only of singers, but of TEACHERS! Their main teacher, Dimitri 

Vdovin seems to really know his stuff, and we hit it off wonderfully 

while I was there. I think he's probably the best known voice teacher 

in Moscow at the present time. The one young artist who has studied 

with him for years has almost a perfect technique, which is no mean 

feat for a tenor! He will be singing Tamino in the mainstage 

production in a few weeks, I believe! I can't wait to hear more from 

these singers once they've had more than a few months to study with him.

In any case, my days there consisted of waking up (usually almost too late) for breakfast, rushing down to get something to eat before they cleared away the buffet at 10:29am, meeting up with someone to walk me to the theater at about 11:30 or 11:45, starting lessons at 12. They were supposed to be 45 minutes long, but quickly ended up being over an hour or so sometimes. I'd eat lunch around 3pm or so in the cantina at the theater. It snowed every night so there was a beautiful carpet of fresh snow during the day. I'd work until 6 or 7 and then go to the office to do some internet or go to dinner with Mischa and Dmitri, then go to my hotel and crash into bed. It was 

fantastic!

The singers seemed to grab the ideas I gave them and run. One soprano, Svetlana, with a huge spinto soprano voice, probably worked hours on her own on the things I told her to do the day after our first lesson, and came back the next day already implementing the exercises in her arias. It was like night and day. Others, I think I gave ideas that will need a little more time to gestate, but they all made great improvements not only in legato but in style and substance.  And they all worked very hard.  I ended up working a lot more technically than I had envisioned, but it was exhilarating to hear the difference when they got it right, and when they self-corrected afterwards! Yay! I am so proud of all the 

hard work that the young artists put in.

I gave an interview the last morning of my trip, which I'm hoping to find somewhere online. In it, I emphasized the fact that the Bolshoi NEEDS this program to develop young artists of a high artistic caliber not only for their own theater, but for Russian artists in general.  It's ridiculous that the great pool of wonderful Russian voices might have to go out of their own country to get practical experience in their training. The Bolshoi program fills this void. The only other program is at the Marinksky Theater in St. Petersburgh. The reason the Marinsky has such fame is not just because of its leader Gergiev, but because of the stars it has created on the international scene. If Anna Netrebko had only stayed at the Marinsky, she would never be the international star that she is today. Her glory reflects highly on the Marinsky, where she still performs. The Bolshoi needs input from outside in order to stay valid, meaningful, international andup-to-date in the operatic scene. It needs not only coaches from other renowned theaters to come as guests, but needs its own "stable" of singers to go elsewhere and gather experience and accolades, which they then bring back to the Bolshoi. I hope the directors of the Bolshoi will heed this need. There are a few singers in the young artists' program who will be ready shortly to go do auditions - winning auditions and competitions can only increase the esteem of the Bolshoi, and give these artists a varied and valid experience which they will then bring BACK to Moscow with them. This will increase the status and the artistic richness of the theater in immeasurable ways, so I hope that the theater continues to make this investment in the patrimony that their great young artists represent.

End of tirade!   Yay for the Bolshoi for taking this step!