Young talent
As 2016 draws to a close, one of the positive things it will be remembered for was the award of the Government of St. Petersburg Youth Prize to two of our performers. These highly prestigious awards went to opera soloist Boris Pinkhasovich, and principal dancer Victor Lebedev. After warmly congratulating them on being the recipients of such an honour in recognition of their talent and skill, we just had to ask the prizewinners about the meaning of youth in the context of art and culture. There is a view that young people are liberated from other people’s expectations and can therefore act as a catalyst for new ideas and original concepts. At the same time, young performers necessarily feel a great sense of responsibility towards the cultural heritage left by their predecessors.
Boris Pinkhasovich: For me, youth is something I haven’t really noticed going by. I recently turned 30, but I still couldn’t tell you what youth is. I guess this is something I have to live with. I have had a clear concept of maturity since I was very young: mental maturity, maturity in family relationships, a sense of responsibility for my household. Even though I was younger than them, I felt almost as if it was my protection they needed. Did I have a youth? I’m not sure. Awards like this one are a reminder that I am still young, but those days are numbered. Sometimes I wish I could be young again, but my brain doesn’t give me a moment’s peace and allow me to let go.
The vast body of high culture that was created before us really penetrates into the consciousness of young artists. You feel your responsibility to these centuries-old traditions. At the same time, I have a firm belief in the quality of my own performances. Maybe this confidence is a result of my mindset as a conductor. I actually studied conducting at the conservatory. It’s my knowledge of this profession that gives me confidence when faced with the immense weight of tradition. My guiding light in all this is the Soviet conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky. I know his widow, and I have been warmly welcomed by the family. Mravinsky is an example for me of how to relate to music, and how strict the approach should be. Another strong influence on me was my teacher Irina Bogacheva, who turned me into a professional singer and vocalist. She has fantastic technique. One of her ideas was that there is no such thing as the Italian or French schools of singing, there is just the one — the correct school.
Victor Lebedev: I think the word talent means something different for everyone. As for my own talent, I owe a lot to my teachers, especially my favourite teacher, Mikhail Messerer, our Ballet Master in Chief. My success is mainly down to him. Maybe I haven’t made it big quite yet, but he believes in me. I swept through the Academy of Russian Ballet without encountering any serious competition from start to finish. That was probably a negative for me. Being top of the class at the academy meant it wasn’t all plain sailing when I came into the theatre, where I would be working with the true stars. At school it didn’t really matter if I tried my best or not, they always gave me top grades anyway. At the theatre it’s a different story, of course. Here I have people to look up to.
My sister really helped me. She said “Don’t worry, whatever happens. It’ll be tough at first, but it’ll only get easier.” Now it’s my fiancée Anastasia Soboleva who supports me in everything I do. I can’t imagine what I’d be like without her. She really inspires me.
There have been moments when I have wanted to break the mould, maybe even throw in the towel. Yes, there was a time, back at the academy, when I considered giving up ballet. The thing that kept me going was knowing how much time and energy I had already put into it. Now, of course, I realize that I really need ballet. When I was 18, I thought I was already grown up. But now I’m 25, I realize that I’m still young, a child even. Mikhail Messerer still says “Victor, you’re still a child.”
I think to people who are just starting out I’d say don’t let anything intimidate you, and continue to pursue your chosen art form. Seeing the pleasure I can give to the audience is the biggest reward for my efforts. Especially when it’s children who are watching you. When you do children’s performances, and all the children are clapping — it’s an incomparable experience. So no one should be afraid to follow their calling.
