Opera soloists studying at Teatro alla Scala

Two young soloists from the Mikhailovsky Theatre opera company — tenor Boris Stepanov and baritone Alexander Shakhov — have gone to Milan for a week to study at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala. Their trip is part of a special project organized by the Italian Embassy in Russia to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Teatro alla Scala’s first tour in Russia. The project aims to reinvigorate the strong and long-standing musical links between Russia and Italy.

The Accademia Teatro alla Scala is a breeding ground of young talent for the world’s leading opera houses. It maintains the continuity of the Italian operatic tradition, which professionals say can be passed on only by word of mouth. The academy dates back to 1813, when the theatre founded the Imperial Regia Accademia di Ballo. In 1997, it was reformed by the legendary maestro Riccardo Muti, who drew on the experience of Arturo Toscanini. A number of outstanding professionals currently teach at the Academy, including Luigi Alva, Renato Bruson, Mirella Freni and Luciana Serra.

Boris Stepanov has been a member of the Mikhailovsky Theatre’s opera company since spring of this year. He graduated from the Glinka Boys’ Choir School, where he specialized in Academic Chorus Conducting, and from the Conducting Department of the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory. He is currently a student at the Conservatory’s Vocal Department. At the Mikhailovsky Theatre he sings the parts of Léopold in La Juive and Beppe in Pagliacci; he also performs in operas by Tchaikovsky and Verdi.

Alexander Shakhov has sung at the Mikhailovsky Theatre since 2014. He is a graduate of the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory. He has taken part in master classes held by Vladimir Chernov, Elena Obraztsova, Ruben Lisitsian, Sergei Leiferkus and Dmitry Vdovin. He performs in operas by Verdi, Puccini, Halévy, Donizetti and Tchaikovsky.