St Petersburg Blagovest Ensemble

Great Witley Church

THE ST PETERSBURG BLAGOVEST ENSEMBLE - 2007

OLGA KOZLOVA (2^ndsoprano & conductor): Olga completed her musical training at St Petersburg University where she was also the accompanist for singing classes. After university, Olga worked for a St. Petersburg TV company which produced talk-shows, which is where she gained managerial experience and her entrepreneurial flair! Since 1997 she has found her niche as leader of the St Petersburg Blagovest Ensemble. When not touring she teaches piano.

ANASTASIA BOGACHEVA (mezzo-soprano)

Graduated from the St Petersburg Conservatoire as both a choir conductor and as an opera singer. She works as a soloist in the Smolny Cathedral choir. She sings solo parts in Mozart's Requiem, Bach's St John Passion and Handel's Messiah and has toured Europe, America and South Korea.

NIKOLAY KURBATOV (baritone, 27): Graduated from the Choral school named after Glinka. In 2003 Nikolay completed his education as a conductor in St Petersburg Conservatoire and now he is a student of vocal department there. Works as a soloist of the St Petersburg Glinka State Choir.

EKATERINA TSENTER (soprano): Graduate of Rimsky-Korsakov Music College in St Petersburg (Choral Conducting), Also of Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory (Solo Singing), where her repertoire included Martha (Tsar’s Bride), Louise (Betrothalina Monastery), Susanna (Marriage of Figaro), Rosina (Barber of Seville), Violetta (La Traviata), Musetta (La Boheme), Margarita (Faust).
Winner of international competitions in Prague, Montreal and St Petersburg. Since 1999 she is a soloist at the Young Opera Singers Academy of the Mariinsky Theatre. Parts in Valkyrie, Sadko, Dido & Aeneas, and Nose. She has been invited to
sing in theatres in France, Luxenburg and Spain, and has toured Finland and France with the Mariinsky.

YEGOR SEMENKOV (tenor, 20): graduated from Choral school named after Glinka. Now he is a student of vocal department of St Petersburg Conservatoire. Egor works in Kasansky Cathedral. Has toured many times in Europe as a soloist in various choirs.

YURY VOROBIEV (bass, 26): Graduate of Leningrad Glinka School of Music. He later studied at the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory. In 2004, Yury was a prizewinner at the Rimsky-Korsakov Young Opera Singers Competition. His repertoire includes Svetozar (Ruslan and Lyudmila), Bertrand (Iolanta), Cook (Love for Three Oranges), Don Prudenzio (Il viaggio a Reims), High Priest of Baal (Nabucco), Pistola (Falstaff), Zuniga (Carmen), Truffaldino (Ariadne of Naxos).

© www.greatwitleychurch.org.uk
Britain's finest Baroque Church. St. Michael and All Angels Church, Great Witley, A443 Worcester - Tenbury Wells road, 10 miles north-west of Worcester. As the parish church for the villages of Great Witley and Little Witley it is used regularly for services and concerts. The church is open to visitors daily. The church, now almost fully restored, displays a splendour which is unique amongst country churches in Britain, with exquisite gilded decorations throughout, numerous paintings by Antonio Bellucci, ten painted glass windows depicting scenes from the New Testament, highly decorative carving and a large monument by Rysbrack. It also has a fine organ, its case being from the instrument on which Handel played. Many musicians consider its acoustics for music to be as fine as any building of its size outside London