Olga Godunova
Olga Godunova – one of few Russian singers, who is in excellent possession of different styles of vocal mastership. Her repertoire includes pop, jazz, opera, cantata-oratorial music. She works in Russia and abroad.
Olga was born on Volga river, in Volgograd hero-town. Began singing at the age of 2 and did not have another dream, otherwise than becoming a singer and to play pianoforte. Having graduated music school specializing in pianoforte, Olga entered conductor-chorus department in a music college and studied at vocal department meanwhile. Worked in “Tsaritsynskaya Opera” Opera Theatre. Sang part of Susanna in “Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart, Gilda in “Rigoletto” by Verdi, Marpha in “The Tsar's Bride” by Rimsky-Korsakov, Frasquita in “Carmen” by Bizet. Brightly approved herself in cantata-oratorial music genre: Gemina in “Lazarus Rising” by F. Schubert/E. Denisov, Requiem by E. L. Webber, “Carmina Burana” by K. Orff, solo soprano in the concert of D. Ellington sacred music. Having got excellent vocal-actor school and education in Russia, Olga entered postgraduate study in Switzerland easily.
In 2009 Olga moved to Moscow and tried herself in absolutely another side. Debuted in the role of Queen in “The Three Musketeers” musical by M. Dunaevsky, became a soloist in “Broadway Galaxy” show. That year the singer soloed in “Ecce cor Meum” sir P. McCartney oratory (first performance in Russia). Olga visits All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company “Culture” in “Romance Romantic” program cycle often. Cooperates with Russian State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography, conducted by Sergey Skripka. Sang in a concert series, dedicated to such famous composers of Soviet music as E. Ptichkin, M. Fradkin, O. Feltsman, Yu. Saulsky, A. Tsfasman, P. Aedonitsky, A. Ostrovsky, Ya. Frenkel, A. Zatsepin.
On the threshold of criss-cross culture year Russia-Italy (2010), Olga Godunova was invited to the Napoli Culture Week in Moscow as Italian repertoire performer.
Olga is a searching sort of person, who takes hazards and opens new art sides. One of the brightest pages of the singer’s biography is the premiere of her own creative project Jazz&Opera, in which the dream of combining jazz, pop and opera singing was embodied. The project got high listeners’ account. Beginning from 2013 with opera singer, Grammy prize winner Ekaterina Lyokhina Olga has been on tour with this project successfully.
Last year Godunova appeared on the scene of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres in the performance of a famous choreographer, ballet soloist of Mariinsky theatre Yury Smekalov, in which modern choreography and French romantic song of Jacques Brel were mixed.
Today Olga Godunova appears successfully on various concert venues (P. I. Tchaikovsky’s Concert Hall, Moscow International House of Music, Kremlin Palace, Russian Government Reception Palace, House of Composers, Moscow Palace of Youth, etc.) with such leading musicians as: S. Skripka, F. Aranovsky, V. Valitov, K. Orbelyan, A. Pokidchenko, T. Solnyshkina, V. Louiso and others.
Olga is a member of the International Vocalists Competition in Italy. She has many creative plans, new projects ideas, and what counts most is her love to real art, music and her business.
Ekaterina Lyokhina (soprano)
Ekaterina Lyokhina is a Grammy prize winner 2010 in “The Best Opera Record” nomination. She is also a laureate of 1st prize in such opera singers international competitions as “Operalia” (Paris, 2007), founded by internationally known singer Plácido Domingo, and “Saint-Petersburg” (Saint-Petersburg, 2005), founded by Irina Bogacheva.
Ekaterina Lyokhina was born in Samara, where she graduated conductor-chorus department in Music College named after D. G. Shatalov. She continued her education in Moscow in the Academy of Chorus Art named after V. Popovin in a degree in solo singing. Then, she graduated postgraduate education (Professor S. Nesterenko class).
Ekaterina’s professional debut took part in 2006 on the scene of Volksoper Vienna Theatre in parts of Madame Herz (“Schauspieldirektor”, Mozart) and Königin der Nacht (Zauberflöte, Mozart). She performed the part of Königin der Nacht continually on many theatres in the world, such as Munich Theatre on Gertnerplatz, Deutch Opera and Staatsoper Berlin, Staatsoper Hannover, Duesseldorf opera theatres, Treviso (Italy), Hong Kong, Beijing, etc.
Ekaterina Lyokhina performed Olympia’s part (“Les contes d'Hoffmann”, Offenbach) on the Summer Opera Festival in Klosterneuburg (Austria, 2006) for the first time. After that contracts in Tel Aviv (2007), Volksoper in Vienna (2007) and Covent Garden Royal Opera Theatre in London (2008) followed. There she succeeded gratefully and got an excellent comment. In 2008, May the singer debuted in Muzette’s part (“La Boheme”, Puccini) in Santiago Municipal Theatre (Chile), in summer the same year performed the mainest part in Mozart’s “Zaide” opera on a prestigious opera festival in Aix-en-Provence (France).
On October 2008 Ekaterina participated in “Iolanta” opera concert fulfillment, Brigitte’s part (Tchaikovsky) with London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by V. Yurovsky (London). In January 2009 the singer took part in a concert with National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia in Tchaikovsky Concert Hall (Moscow).
Foremost level of the singer’s creation career was her participation in “Belcanto” opera festival in Knowlton (Canada), where she performed the part of Lisa in “Somnambular” opera (Bellini) and Juliette in “Capuletti ed i Montecchi” (Bellini) under conduction of Kent Nagano. In October 2009 Ekaterina Lyokhina executed the mainest part in “L'arbore di Diana” (Martín y Soler) in Liceu Theatre, Barcelona. With this part she also debuted in Real Theatre (Madrid, 2010).
On January 2010 the singer emerged in the part of Olympia in Monte-Carlo Opera Theatre again. In summer the same year Ekaterina fulfilled the main part of La Prinicipessa di Navarra in a rarely performed Donizetti’s opera “Gianni di Parigi” on Valle d’Itria Summer Opera Festival (Italy). In September 2010 Ekaterina supplemented her repertoire with part of Gilda (“Rigoletto”, Verdi). The performance of which was highly estimated by opera critics in Santiago, Chile. The singer also fulfilled this part in opera theatre Monte-Carlo on March 2011. In the season 2010-2011 with part of Königin der Nacht Ekaterina debuted in Bavaria State Opera (Munich) and opera theatre in Frankfurt.
Among her projects there are Maler’s Symphony № 4, parts of Königin der Nacht in Tel Aviv and Zerbinetta’s part (“Ariadne auf Naxos”, R. Straus) in Santiago, Chile. Season 2011-2012 started from Königin der Nacht part (Ekaterina’ claim to fame) in Volksoper theatre (Vienna) and Geneva Opera Theatre. After that she performed Diana’s part (“L'arbore di Diana”) in the National Opera Montpellier (France), and on January 2012 – part of Königin der Nacht in Teatro del Lago (Chile).
On May 2012 the singer’s debut of Königin der Nacht part in Bolshoi Theatre (Moscow) took place. In Bolshoi Theatre Ekaterina also debuted with such parts as Queen of Shamakhan (“The Golden Cockerel”, Rimsky-Korsakov) and Amina (“Somnambula” Bellini) in 2013.
Besides opera plays Ekaterina Lyokhina has active concert life. The singer performed solo concerts in India, Marocco, Canada, Great Britain, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Russia.
Ekaterina cooperated with many conductors such as:
Leopold Hager, Alfred Eschwe, David Stahl, Frederic Chaslin, Louis Langrée, Vladimir Jurowski , David Stern, Harry Bicket, Jacques Lacombe, Ottavio Dantone, Fabio Biondi, Julian Reynolds, Kent Nagano, Antonio Pappano и др.
In 2009 a disc with opera “L’amour de loin” (Kaija Saariaho), on which there is a record of Ekaterina Lyokhina singing part of Princess Clémence under conduction of Kent Nagano, was off the press. The disc gained “Diapason d’Or” French prestigious prize.
Later the disc gained the most prestigious Grammy prize in the sphere of sound recording in “The Best Opera Record” nomination (2010).
PROGRAMME
1 Part
- Instrumental item on the programme
- Barcarolle “Les contes d'Hoffmann”, Offenbach (duett)
- Muzette’s waltz “La Boheme”, Puccini (E. Lyokhina)
- Cry me a river, Hamilton (O. Godunova)
- Summertime “Porgy and Bess”, G. Gershwin (duett)
- Fly me to the moon, B. Howard (O. Godunova)
- Adele’s couplets “Die Fledermaus”, Strauss (E. Lyokhina)
- Instrumental item on the programme
- The Kiss, Arditi (E. Lyokhina)
- Non, rien de rien, Dumont (O. Godunova)
- The Spring will come, Feltsman (duett)
2 Part
- Juliette’s waltz “Romeo and Juliette”, Gounod (E. Lyokhina)
- Memory “Cats”, Webber (O. Godunova)
- Flower Duet “Lakme”, Delibes (duett)
- Elise’s song “My Fair lady”, Loewe (E. Lyokhina)
- Love has come, Pauls – Rozhdestvensky (O. Godunova)
- Instrumental item on the programme
- Prima Donna song “Fairy”, Herbert (E. Lyokhina)
- Hymne à l’amour, Monnot (O. Godunova)
- Adagio, Albinoni (duet)
- Time to say goodbye, Sartori (duet)