Vitaly Polonsky
Choirmaster
A graduate of the Glinka Novosibirsk State Conservatory, he has been working with conductor Teodor Currentzis since 2003.
The chorus master directed the following productions at Perm Opera: Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” (2011), “Le nozze di Figaro” (2012, co-produced with Festspielhaus Baden-Baden) and “Don Giovanni” (2014); Purcell’s “Indian Queen” (2013, co-produced with Teatro Real Madrid and English National Opera); Dmitriy Kurliandsky’s “Nosferatu” (2014, world premiere); Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffmann”; Borodin’s “Prince Igor” (2015); Verdi’s “Traviata (2016, co-produced with Unlimited Performing Arts (Denmark), Landestheater Linz (Austria) and Theater de la Ville (Luxembourg)); Alexey Syumak’s “Cantos” (2016, world premiere); Philippe Hersant’s “Tristia” (2016, world premiere); Puccini’s “La bohème” (2017, co-produced with Festspielhaus Baden-Baden); Lully’s “Phaëton” (co-produced with Versailles Royal Opera and Le Poème Harmonique ensemble); Honegger’s “Jeanne aû bucher” (2018, co-produced with Lyon National Opera, La Monnaie / Du Mont Opera House, and Theater Basel); Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” (2019).
Headlined by the chorus master, the ensemble frequently gives a capella performances in Russia and abroad. The choir’s touring schedule encompasses Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Berlin, Athens, Paris, Lisbon, Hamburg, Ferrara, Munich, Cologne, and Krakow. In 2015, the choir performed at Aix-en-Provence festival; in 2016, it participated in RUHRtriennale (Bochum). Since 2017, the troupe has been a regular participant of the Salzburg festival (Mozart’s “Idomeneo” and “The Mercy of Titus”, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 conducted by Teodor Currentzis). In 2018, the musicAeterna choir became a laureate of Opera Awards, Casta Diva, and the “Golden Mask”.
musicAeterna choir events
Dom Radio, the St Petersburg Centre for Culture and Arts inspired by Teodor Currentzis, opens its concert season. The mansion at 62 Nevsky Prospect will become the new venue for musicAeterna and Dom Radio until the completion of renovation of the historic building of the House of Radio, scheduled for the end of 2026. An extensive concert and educational programme is being launched in this building in the spirit of late classical eclecticism, known as the Beggrov House.
The first event of the Dom Radio season will be the enigma evening from the Full Moon cycle. On 16 November — the night of the full moon — the artists of the musicAeterna choir and orchestra, as well as the musicAeterna Dance troupe, will perform at the Beggrov House under the direction of Teodor Currentzis. The evening is staged by director Anna Guseva and choreographer Anastasia Peshkova. The content of the cross-disciplinary event will remain a secret — all spectators will receive programmes with the cast and a list of works performed only at the end of the event.
The special project dedicated to Yvan Goll staged by Elizaveta Moroz continues the search for new forms of poetic theatre. The music pieces set to the French and German verses of the avant-garde poet are written by Dom Radio resident composers Alexey Retinsky, Andreas Moustoukis, Egor Ananko, Victoria Kharkevich, Kirill Arkhipov, as well as Alexander Belousov, Vangelino Currentzis and Teodor Currentzis. The production with compositions for voice and piano will be performed by the artists of the musicAeterna Choir, pianists Nikolai Mazhara and Sasha Listova within the framework of the musicAeterna Αθεατρον. Drama actress Laura Pitskhelauri is also engaged in the project.
Tributes represent one of the largest formats of the Dom Radio programme, combining modern academic music with poetry and drama. The project epitomizes a synthesis of the arts, in which actors, musicians, artists and other figures of contemporary art take part, collaboratively creating an artistic statement.