Alto

Arina Mirsajetova

In the choir since 2005

Biography
Interview

In 2003, Arina Mirsaetova graduated from the music theory and choir conducting faculties of the Biysk music college. In 2008, she graduated from the Glinka State Conservatory (Novosibirsk) with a specialization in choir conducting. Since 2005, she has performed with the New Siberian Singers chamber choir which was founded by Teodor Currentzis and later transformed into the musicAeterna choir.

At the moment, Arina Mirsaetova is also the choirmaster, inspector and librarian at musicAeterna. She is a laureate of the cross-regional German Songs Competition (Novosibirsk) and the All-Russian Vocal Olympiad (Ekaterinburg).

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF BEING A PERFORMER?

It is probably the requirement to give your 100% at all times. If you do not put in your maximum effort, the quality of your performance will suffer. So you have to do your absolute best at rehearsals and concerts alike. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to replenish your inner resources.

HOW DO YOU REPLENISH THEM? WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM?

My biggest source of inspiration is my family. When I come home, I try to leave my job at the door and switch to household matters. When I have a day off, I like to spend some quality time with my husband and my son. But sometimes I just need to be alone for a while — just sit around in silence, maybe read a book. My job includes a number of administrative duties along with creative work, so I sometimes suffer from communication overload.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO FOCUS ON CREATIVE WORK?

In fact, it comes naturally. When you go up on stage, something changes within you. Everyday worries cease to matter anymore, and you are left with just one desire: to successfully bring the director’s and conductor’s vision to life.

WHAT DOES MUSICAETERNA MEAN TO YOU?

Ever since I was a student, musicAeterna has been the project of all my conscious creative life. Working with musicians and directors of this caliber is a true blessing. You know, I came to Novosibirsk to study at the Conservatory from a small town that had no philharmonic and no music theater. It was only when I moved to Novosibirsk that I got to experience a symphonic concert as well as an opera and ballet performance live. As luck had it, during my first year of studies I was offered to take part in the “Aida” opera, which was a project by Teodor Currentzis and Dmitriy Chernyakov. This gave me a huge boost of confidence and an incentive to work at the theater. In a word, musicAeterna is my school where I keep learning something new every day. It is amazing to work with the world’s best performers, to gain emotional and professional experience, and to discover my own abilities in the process.