Vocal and Choir Department

Dean – Professor of the Division V. Avramenko

Divisions:

• Singing (Head – Honoured Artist of Belarus, Professor of the Division L. Kolos);

• Choir Conducting (Head – Professor of the Division V. Avramenko);

• Opera Training (Head – Honoured Artist of Belarus, Assistant Professor M. Zdanevich).

The Division of Singing. From the first working days of the Belarusian State Conservatoire, the Division has been taking one of the leading places. It was caused by the traditions-rich singing culture of the Belarusian people, and also by the professional level of those who stood at the cradle of the higher vocal education in Belarus. The first teachers of the Division were the famous singers of the last century who performed together with F. Shalyapin, N. Nezhdanova, L. Sobinov. They are A. Bonachich, P. Tikhonov, Ya. Vitseng. They brought up the first in Belarus People's Artists of the USSR and BSSR L. Alexandrovskaya, M. Vorvulev, M. Denissov, S. Drouker, I. Bolotin. Their business was taken over by such wonderful singers and teachers like S. Oskolkov, M. Lyudvig, K. Drozdova. Currently, the traditions of the Belarusian vocal school are being fruitfully developed by People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor T. Nizhnikova, People's Artists of Belarus: Professor of the Division L. Galoushkina, Assistant Professors L. Kasporskaya, I. Shikounova, P. Ridiger, People's Artists of Russia, Assistant Professor E. Pelageichenko, Belarus Honoured Artist's of Belarus: Candidate of Musicology, Professor L. Ivashkov, Professor of the Division L. Kolos, Professor V. Skorobogatov, Assistant Professor M. Zdanevich, A. Jiliuk. Being laureates of various international and national competitions, possessing an experience of performing on great opera stages and in prestigious concert halls, they are now bringing up the proper highly professional youth – the future of our vocal art. The Division of Signing is proud of victories of its pupils at multiple international competitions. Among the laureates are wide-known Belarusian singers V. Kouchinsky, V. Skorobogatov, M. Zhilyuk, M. Grigorchik, S. Frankovsky, M. Zdanevich, L. Kolos, I. Shoupenich, A. Morozov, M. Ryssov, I. Gordej, A. Zhukov, A. Kovalevsky, A. Salo, V. Moroz, A. Moskvina, Т. Gavrilova, I. Silchukov, N. Dement'eva, Yu. Gorodetsky and others.

The Division of Choral Conducting. One of the founders of the Division, and also of the Belarusian Choir was conductor I. Bàry, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatoire. The formation of the Division in pre-war years is also connected with the activities of L. Shvarts and M. Maslova. After restoration of the Conservatoire in 1944, M. Shneiderman, S. Ratner, I. Gitgarts started their pedagogical activities at the Division. One should mention specifically the contribution made into development of the choral arts of Belarus by People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor V. Rovdo, which headed Division with 1963 for 2007, and Honoured Worker of Arts, Assistant Professor A. Zelenkova. Now the head of Division is Professor of the Division V. Avramenko. Alongside with them, the Division employs famous choirmasters: People's Artist of Belarus, Professor M. Drinevsky, Assistant Professors M. Khvisyuk, L. Shimanovich, V. Avramenko, T. Slobodchikova, S. Gerasimovich. The pedagogical and creative activities of the Division of Choral Conducting is the major foundation for preservation and development of Belarusian chorus culture. Performances of the Concert Choir of the Belarusian State Academy of Music in the international stage have been marked by high creative achievements.

The Division of Opera Training. An important direction of the activities of the Department is training of opera singers – future opera soloists. Their professional training is taking place in the Opera Studio and Opera Class.  During the pre-war time the Opera Studio of the Byelorussian State Conservatoire employed the famous singers A. Shperling and S. Kapara, conductors M. Balazovsky, R. Rubinshtein and I. Gitgarts, director P. Zlatogorov. A notable event of the musical arts of the country of the 1960s was the first staging at the Opera Studio of the opera by P. Podkovyrov “Pavel Korchagin” to the novel by N. Ostrovsky “The Way Steel Hardened” (1967). In those days the prominent representatives of the opera arts of the country worked at the Division – G. Dougashev, R. Evrayev, Yu. Uzhentsev, S. Shtein. The presentations of the Opera Studio were participated by famous Belarusian singers I. Shikounova, P. Shimko, V. Gloushakov, M. Moiseyenko, E. Petrov, V. Ivanovsky, M. Galkovsky, V. Skorobogatov, P. Drouzhina, I. Odintsova, M. Poushkaryov, D. Morozov, G. Chepikov, L. Krivyonok, who later became the leading soloists of the Belarusian opera. Currently, the opera skills are taught by experienced teachers – Honoured Artist of Belarus, Assistant Professor M. Zdanevich, Honoured Workers of Arts of Belarus, Professor of the Division L. Lyakh, Assistant Professors V. Mnazakanov, I. Berenov and others.