15.06.2017
An ironic countess
The success of the recent premiere of Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro at the Mikhailovsky Theatre was largely due to the brilliant performances of the opera soloists. Maria Buinosova in particular earned the approval of critics. They described her Countess as charming and aristocratic, noting that her second aria was especially glorious, her performance filling listeners with joy at her wonderful singing. The young soloist has now spent her first season at the Mikhailovsky Theatre. We would like to introduce you to her background and work.
"My mother is a soloist with the Orenburg Philharmonia; she has sung all her life, and now she teaches, too. I was born and brought up in Orenburg. After I graduated from music school, I felt certain that I would work as a pianist. But after six months at music college studying piano, I switched to the vocal faculty. That’s how I became a singer.
"When I saw a notice for auditions for Minin’s Choir, I set off for Moscow — and I was accepted. I spent three years there. It has become a good school, in large part thanks to Vladimir Minin, who is a brilliant musician. But what made my operatic career really take off was my time studying at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre. I was accepted to study there following an audition: only 15 out of 150 applicants got in. I studied under Makvala Kasrashvili. Listening to her recordings in the past, I could never have imagined that I would study with her. Thanks to her, I started to sing my first serious roles — Tatiana, Micaëla, Gorislava, and Marfa.
"I was not accepted onto the Bolshoi Theatre’s young artists programme, but they offered me the role of Gerda in Sergey Banevich’s opera The Story of Kay and Gerda. At the same time, I was rehearsing a production of The Tsar’s Bride at the Bolshoi, and I ended up singing the role of Marfa during the whole run.
"At one audition, I was noticed by Olga Kapanina, who invited me to come and work at her theatre. This season, I have performed the roles of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Nedda in Pagliacci, Violetta Valéry in La traviata, and the Countess in the recent premiere of Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro.
"Vyacheslav Starodubtsev’s production of the latter was my first experience of being immersed in the process of creating a performance from start to finish. The director made sure that the rehearsal room was enveloped in a wonderfully light and pleasant atmosphere. He would come in and say: ‘Good morning, my darlings!’ Just that was enough to make us smile. We were not held back in any way, or prevented from fulfilling our potential. I think that of all the heroines I have played, the Countess is the one I feel most empathy towards. I especially admire her light sense of irony.
„I enjoy singing and working with my colleagues from the opera company. I have developed a particularly friendly relationship with the pianist and vocal coach Natalia Dudik. She is a musician of the highest calibre; I always learn something new in her lessons. And if I don’t see her for a while, I start to miss her.
„At the moment, my dream is to perform the role of Mimi in our production of La Bohème. Right here on this stage, with these people.“
"My mother is a soloist with the Orenburg Philharmonia; she has sung all her life, and now she teaches, too. I was born and brought up in Orenburg. After I graduated from music school, I felt certain that I would work as a pianist. But after six months at music college studying piano, I switched to the vocal faculty. That’s how I became a singer.
"When I saw a notice for auditions for Minin’s Choir, I set off for Moscow — and I was accepted. I spent three years there. It has become a good school, in large part thanks to Vladimir Minin, who is a brilliant musician. But what made my operatic career really take off was my time studying at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre. I was accepted to study there following an audition: only 15 out of 150 applicants got in. I studied under Makvala Kasrashvili. Listening to her recordings in the past, I could never have imagined that I would study with her. Thanks to her, I started to sing my first serious roles — Tatiana, Micaëla, Gorislava, and Marfa.
"I was not accepted onto the Bolshoi Theatre’s young artists programme, but they offered me the role of Gerda in Sergey Banevich’s opera The Story of Kay and Gerda. At the same time, I was rehearsing a production of The Tsar’s Bride at the Bolshoi, and I ended up singing the role of Marfa during the whole run.
"At one audition, I was noticed by Olga Kapanina, who invited me to come and work at her theatre. This season, I have performed the roles of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Nedda in Pagliacci, Violetta Valéry in La traviata, and the Countess in the recent premiere of Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro.
"Vyacheslav Starodubtsev’s production of the latter was my first experience of being immersed in the process of creating a performance from start to finish. The director made sure that the rehearsal room was enveloped in a wonderfully light and pleasant atmosphere. He would come in and say: ‘Good morning, my darlings!’ Just that was enough to make us smile. We were not held back in any way, or prevented from fulfilling our potential. I think that of all the heroines I have played, the Countess is the one I feel most empathy towards. I especially admire her light sense of irony.
„I enjoy singing and working with my colleagues from the opera company. I have developed a particularly friendly relationship with the pianist and vocal coach Natalia Dudik. She is a musician of the highest calibre; I always learn something new in her lessons. And if I don’t see her for a while, I start to miss her.
„At the moment, my dream is to perform the role of Mimi in our production of La Bohème. Right here on this stage, with these people.“
