Elena Shestakova

Music has surrounded me for as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to sing when doing the housework. My aunt — a professional pianist — set up music nights, and I constantly performed at various children’s events. However, I only felt the strong urge to take music seriously around the time I was at music college. That’s where I got introduced to all sorts of music — old, ethnic, modern. This sparked my love towards it.

My playlist has all sorts of music in it. I often take a more thoughtful re-listen to classical pieces by Tchaikovsky, Mahler and Beethoven. But sometimes I want to hear something completely different: say, Apocalyptica or even pop music.

First of all, it’s the opportunity to work with Teodor Currentzis. Maestro is one of the few people who are able to hear music differently — and to teach that. I have no idea how he manages to do that. “The composer has outlined all the nuances in the score,” he usually says. “Let’s just follow what’s written there.” But as a result, the piece sounds in a different way. For example, Maestro has re-introduced me to Mozart’s “Requiem”. It’s one of the most famous academic music pieces, and I had thought I knew every single note in it — but after a few rehearsals, I realized it was totally unfamiliar to me. By the way, Maestro’s magical ability extends to revealing people’s undiscovered talents as well.

Like any professional, I strive to get even better at my craft. I want to sing in a way that I find even more satisfying. When you feel that inner satisfaction, you know you’re on the right way.