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Ivan Sherstnev

In the orchestra since 2015

Ivan Sherstnev was born in 1990 in Moscow. He graduated from the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music. (the class of Prof. Sergey Velikanov). He continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold in Germany (the class of Professor Józef Kiss), and since 2011 at the Haute école de musique de Genève in Switzerland (the oboe class of Professor Alexey Ogrinchuk and the historical oboe class of Patrick Beaugiraud). He has performed with the musicAeterna orchestra since 2015.

He is the laureate of the international competitions Classical Heritage (2004, Russia), Silver Bell (2004 and 2006, Ukraine), the International Competition of Chamber Music Performers (2005, Russia), the Mravinsky International Competition (2006, Russia), Alumni-Interpretatonswettbewerb (2011, Germany). He is the bursar of the Vladimir Spivakov Charitable Foundation, the New Names Foundation, and Lions club.

He participated in master classes by I.F. Pushechnikov, S. Skilly, H. Schellenberger, B. Schneemann, M. Burg, etc.

From 2008 to 2009 he was an artist of the Pavel Slobodkin Orchestra. Since 2014 he has been a guest oboist at the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, since 2015 – at the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Since 2016 he has been working in the orchestra of the Finnish National Opera. He has performed under the baton of such conductors as Kurt Mazur, Vladimir Spivakov, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Gábor Takács-Nagy, etc., as well as with such soloists as Maxim Vengerov, Zakhar Bron, Maurice Burg, etc.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR INSTRUMENT?
Just like the French horn, the oboe rightfully holds the Guinness record for being one of the most difficult instruments to play. I believe the oboe is the closest instrument to the human voice.
WHAT COULD YOU HAVE BECOME, HAD YOU NOT CHOSEN TO BE A MUSICIAN?
If not for music, I would have probably become a painter. I would be happy to transfer the beauty of nature to the canvas. Painting has a serious advantage: with music, we make sonic pictures that only exist in the present and can be memorized (I am not talking about recordings — those are a different story). Painting, however, can let you create a masterpiece for further generations to admire.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL PLACE YOU HAVE EVER PERFORMED AT?
The farewell hall at the Sklifosovsky Research Institute. On that day, we bid farewell to my teacher, S.P. Velikanov.
DO YOU LISTEN TO YOUR RECORDINGS? HOW DIFFERENTLY DO YOU START TO PERCEIVE THEM AS TIME GOES BY?
I make a point to listen to them: it is a good means of development. As time goes by, I stay as critical of my recordings as ever.
WHAT HOLDS THE MOST VALUE TO YOU IN WORKING WITH MUSICAETERNA?
MusicAeterna is comprised of outstanding, exceptionally strong personalities. They are musicians that have chosen to dedicate their lives to music. Together with Teodor, they unveil the truth.