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© Gyunai Musaeva Ⓘ
Harp

Maria Zorkina

In the orchestra since 2011

Maria Zorkina was born in Leningrad. She started studying music at an early age. She played the piano, sang in a choir and learned to play the harp.

In 1998, she graduated with honours from music college where she had studied harp playing (under prof. I.A. Donskaya) and symphony conducting (under prof. L.Ya. Savich).

In 2004, Maria graduated from the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg Conservatory (prof. A.A. Varosyan’s class).

Read more…

She has worked at the Mikhailovsky and Mariinsky theatre orchestras, at the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Academic symphony orchestra, at Macao Symphony, and at Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Since 2011, Maria Zorkina has been a member of the musicAeterna orchestra.

In 2018, Maria Zorkina graduated with honours from the Perm State Culture University where she had studied symphony conducting under prof. V.I. Platonov. In November 2018, she made her debut as a conductor at the Perm State Opera and Ballet Theatre.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO THE WORLD OF MUSIC?
It was “who”, not “what”. My mother did. It was she who once took we to a concert at the St. Petersburg Philharmonia. That concert witnessed the birth of my dream to be on that stage one day. I was particularly charmed by the conductor, Evgeniy Alexandrovich Mravinsky, who had such clear and precise control over time.
THE HARP IS SUCH A ROMANTIC INSTRUMENT. WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE IT OVER ANY OTHER?
I once saw a golden harp in one of the rooms at music school and instantly fell in love with it. I wanted no more black pianos, and I insisted on being put into the harp class instead, which ultimately happened. If you think of it, you have 7 pedals, 47 strings, 70kg of weight to carry, and 1500 parts to wrap your head around; that is not romantic at all. I am not going to discuss things that frequently come up when talking about the harp: its magical timbre, harp therapy and the like. To me, having a good command of the instrument is more important than just playing music in an eloquent way. Truth be told, I have always been an odd harpist. Harpists tend to be melancholic ladies in long dresses, but that is not what I am. I try to stay busy every minute, during every break we get — and we get plenty of those. For instance, right now I am learning to be a conductor, so I observe the musicians and Maestro and think what I could have done differently to get a different sound.
WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU?
Music is a language. Get fluent at it, and you will be able to express all your thoughts. Moreover, hearing someone play just a few notes can tell me much about that person. They play and I understand whether we would be of interest to each other.
WHAT SYMBOLIC MEANING DOES MUSICAETERNA HAVE TO YOU?
MusicAeterna is the last name of Teodor’s large family. It is a locomotive of the modern music world. It is a jewellery workshop of musical diamonds. MusicAeterna means quality.

musicAeterna orchestra events

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May 26, 20:00
St. Petersburg | State Academic Capella
Dvořák: Alexander Sladkovsky and musicAeterna

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104, B. 191 (1894–1895)
Allegro
Adagio ma non troppo
Finale. Allegro moderato

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88, B. 163 (1889)
Allegro con brio
Adagio
Allegretto grazioso — Molto Vivace
Allegro ma non troppo

The musicAeterna Orchestra
Soloist Alexey Zhilin
Conductor Alexander Sladkovsky

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June 1, 21:00
St. Petersburg | Hermitage Museum
The musicAeterna Orchestra and Choir. Ars Vivendi

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
The thunderstorm scene from Act II of the opera-ballet Platée ou Junon jalouse (1745)
Act IV, Scene 4: Entry of the muse Polyhymnia from the lyrical tragedy Abaris ou les Boreades (1763)
Tambourines I, II from the prologue to the lyrical tragedy Dardanus (1739)

Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Crucifixus a 8 voci from Credo in F Major (before 1717)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto for Cello and Strings in C Minor, RV 401 (late 1720s)

  1. Allegro non molto
  2. Adagio
  3. Allegro ma non molto

The soloist Rabbani Aldangor

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Ombra mai fu (There was never a shadow), aria of Xerxes from Act I of the opera Xerxes, HWV 40 (1738)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Furie terribili! (Terrible Furies!), aria of Armida from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Piangerò la sorte mia (I will mourn my fate), aria of Cleopatra from Act III of the opera Julius Caesar, HWV 17, (1724)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Venti, turbini (Winds, whirlwinds), aria of Rinaldo from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), motet for double choir in G minor, BWV 229 (before 1731–1732)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye nations), motet for four-voice choir, dubbing instruments and basso continuo in C major, BWV 230 (n.d.)
Erbarme dich, mein Gott (Have mercy, my God), aria of the alto No. 39 (47) from the sacred oratorio St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
Soloists:
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Vladislav Pesin, violin

George Frideric Handel
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (Leave the thorn, pluck the rose), aria of Pleasure from Act II of the oratorio The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, HWV 46a (1707)
Soloists:
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Sauvages/Forêts paisibles (The Savages/Peaceful Forests) from Act IV of the opera-ballet The Gallant Indies, (1725/1736)

Duration: 60 minutes

Sold out
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June 2, 19:00
St. Petersburg | Hermitage Museum
The musicAeterna Orchestra and Choir. Ars Vivendi

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
The thunderstorm scene from Act II of the opera-ballet Platée ou Junon jalouse (1745)
Act IV, Scene 4: Entry of the muse Polyhymnia from the lyrical tragedy Abaris ou les Boreades (1763)
Tambourines I, II from the prologue to the lyrical tragedy Dardanus (1739)

Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Crucifixus a 8 voci from Credo in F Major (before 1717)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto for Cello and Strings in C Minor, RV 401 (late 1720s)

  1. Allegro non molto
  2. Adagio
  3. Allegro ma non molto

The soloist Rabbani Aldangor

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Ombra mai fu (There was never a shadow), aria of Xerxes from Act I of the opera Xerxes, HWV 40 (1738)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Furie terribili! (Terrible Furies!), aria of Armida from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Piangerò la sorte mia (I will mourn my fate), aria of Cleopatra from Act III of the opera Julius Caesar, HWV 17, (1724)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Venti, turbini (Winds, whirlwinds), aria of Rinaldo from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), motet for double choir in G minor, BWV 229 (before 1731–1732)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye nations), motet for four-voice choir, dubbing instruments and basso continuo in C major, BWV 230 (n.d.)
Erbarme dich, mein Gott (Have mercy, my God), aria of the alto No. 39 (47) from the sacred oratorio St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
Soloists:
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Vladislav Pesin, violin

George Frideric Handel
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (Leave the thorn, pluck the rose), aria of Pleasure from Act II of the oratorio The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, HWV 46a (1707)
Soloists:
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Sauvages/Forêts paisibles (The Savages/Peaceful Forests) from Act IV of the opera-ballet The Gallant Indies, (1725/1736)

Duration: 60 minutes

Sold out
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An event of Diaghilev Festival
June 20, 19:00
Perm | Great Hall of the Perm Philharmonic
Concert of musicAeterna: Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
The St Matthew Passion

a sacred oratorio for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra with libretto by Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici), BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)

MusicAeterna Choir and Orchestra
Guest soloists
Conductor Teodor Currentzis

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An event of Diaghilev Festival
June 21, 17:00
Perm | Great Hall of the Perm Philharmonic
Concert of musicAeterna Brass

On the programme: overtures, arias, suites from operas by Mozart, Rossini, Offenbach, Wagner, and Puccini arranged for brass ensemble, and miniatures of various genres.