Second Violins

Inna Prokopyeva

In the orchestra since 2004

Inna Prokopyeva graduated from the Glinka Novosibirsk State Conservatory, having completed the core programme (class of Professor Elena Baskina) and postgraduate course (class of Professor Lyudmila Khrulkova). She is the laureate of Siberia and the Far East competitions.

Since 1997, she has been an artist of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre Orchestra. From 2006 to 2010, she was the concertmaster of the musicAeterna Orchestra. As part of the musicAeterna Orchestra, she participated in productions and recordings on the Alpha and Sony record labels.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST CONCERT WITH MUSICAETERNA?

When Teodor Currentzis came to the Novosibirsk Opera House, I was already working there — that is, I have been in the musicAeterna orchestra since the first rehearsal. As musicians say, ‘from the zero cycle’. The first works that I performed under the direction of Teodor were Stravinsky’s The Fairy’s Kiss and Verdi’s Aida.

The orchestra has changed a lot since that time. The ensemble was formed by involving young musicians, students, we played in a chamber composition. Now it is already a large, international orchestra, the professional level has grown several times, we have gained access to venues that we could not even dream of before. All this happened thanks to Teodor’s fantastic faith in musicAeterna. I probably won't be original if I say that working at musicAeterna is like a hobby, or rather, a special way of life. It's a creative process that doesn't stop for a second.

WHAT IS THE PECULIARITY OF TEODOR CURRENTZIS'S APPROACH TO WORKING WITH THE ORCHESTRA?

When the musicAeterna Orchestra and Choir were just emerging, we often gathered in Teodor’s office: we practised, drank tea, watched movies and listened to music. The maestro brought a lot of CDs and records — he encouraged us to listen to them, copy, share our impressions. We were like a family. Few conductors are so attentive to every musician in the orchestra. Usually an orchestra is perceived as a large mass, especially string players, whereas Teodor sees personality and individuality in everyone. Much of his approach is close to me. We play even the most famous pieces in a way that is different from other orchestras. Teodor has his own unique vision, which I am grateful to him for.

WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF PERFORMING?

If I were not a violinist, I would choose the piano as my main instrument — I would really like to perform Brahms’s Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra. Actually, I especially like spiritual music. For a long time, my 'dream piece' was Bach’s oratorio St Matthew Passion — and finally, the dream came true.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

In summer, we often go cycling with our family along the embankments and parks. I like to make stops to at second-hand bookstores and small galleries. I often visit KGallery and the Sergey Kuryokhin Centre. I appreciate modern art, especially photo exhibitions and concerts of new music.

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?

I am open to any kind of music. My husband is a music lover, and at home we have a huge collection of recordings, CDs and vinyls. At one time, we listened a lot to Sergey Kuryokhin’s Pop Mechanics, as well as to the Aquarium rock band. Now it's mostly jazz and classical music. Personally, I adore Shostakovich and Brahms. I think the love of music on vinyl was passed on to my husband from Teodor — he also used to play in the orchestra in a permanent line-up, and now performs as a guest artist.