Sopranos

Irina Michailova

In the choir since 2023

She is currently studying at Rimsky-Korsakov St Petersburg State Conservatory at the assistant-internship programme specializing in Academic Choir Conducting, as well as at the International Elena Obraztsova Music Academy specializing in Academic Vocals. She is the laureate of All-Russian and international competitions, including the International ‘Singing Conductor’ Competition (Grand Prix, 2020), the All-Russian Competition for Young Conductors of Academic Choirs (Second Prize, 2020). She took part in master classes by Vitaly Polonsky (2021) and others, and completed an internship at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Professor Toomas Kapten (2022).

Since 2017 she has been an artist of the Festino Chamber Choir. She takes part in St. Petersburg festivals dedicated to the early and modern music performance.

HOW DID YOU GET TO KNOW MUSICAETERNA?

I first heard about musicAeterna when I was a student at a music college. Since then, I have been keeping track of the ensemble's activities, listening to recordings. I first heard musicAeterna play live at the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic: it was when the orchestra and choir presented Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas in concert performance. I was struck by how boldly and imaginatively Teodor approached the artistic presentation of certain scenes in the opera. His interpretation of the orchestration was a particular delight to me: as you know, the author's score of Dido and Aeneas did not survive, so there is always an intrigue in how the conductor is going to interpret the work. And of course, the choir made a striking impression of its own on me then — the voices were so finely, elastically and colourfully woven into the musical fabric of the opera. Such a joint breathing sound could only be achieved by passionate performers who do the thing they love with total dedication. Now I work in this ensemble and I see how bright and talented the musicians here are — each in their own way — and how they come together to create something special for the audience. It is a great joy for me to be a part of this whole living ‘organism’.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A MUSICIAN?

I have been singing in a choir since music school, so the collective sound and participation in it accompanies me through all my life. I first appeared on stage as a solo performer back in my third year of music school: then I participated in an international competition. It was such a new feeling for me that I probably didn't even have time to get scared or overexcited. As a result, I unexpectedly received the first prize. It was probably then that I realized I could practice vocals.

WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU?

Singing as a ‘product’ of the soul is always a very personal and delicate process for me. Maybe that's why chamber music genres and working in an ensemble are so close to me. Here you can look into the material more closely, listen closely, and find a special contact with the performers and the audience. Early music, avant-garde, German and French chamber music — this is the repertoire in which I am constantly looking for and discovering something new.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN CONDUCTING.

I've always enjoyed looking for and finding in the score something that is not on the surface, fishing out some ‘curiosities’, analysing them. As a conductor, you have the opportunity to share your thoughts with the musicians, to involve them, to tell a story from the stage together. To create musical time, involve performers in it and share it with the audience — if you have given it a try this once, you want to return to this experience again and again. You act as a carrier of musical thought, although you yourself do not make sounds on stage. During the training, conductors acquire theoretical knowledge, but understanding the essence of this process comes only through practice. That is why the experience of working directly with the ensemble is so important for novice conductors. It's only here that you really open up, gain confidence in your art. In this sense, conducting is truly a profession for the second half of life.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY?

I constantly combine study and work, communication and a massive flow of information. Therefore, the time when I can be alone with myself is especially important for me. Evening or night is a time for me to reflect and recover. At the same time, it is a period of high concentration: for example, thinking about and listening to serious music mostly happens to me at night.