News https://zoyatsererina.com ru Fri, 15 May 2026 01:08:54 +0300 It is happiness — to do what you love https://zoyatsererina.com/tpost/80lxvtim51-it-is-happiness-to-do-what-you-love https://zoyatsererina.com/tpost/80lxvtim51-it-is-happiness-to-do-what-you-love?amp=true Wed, 18 Dec 2024 22:00:00 +0300 Interview for the Musa Jalil Tatar State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (TAGTOiB)

It is happiness — to do what you love

In the new episode of the project “People of the Theatre”, Zoya Tsererina, opera singer, soloist of the Musa Jalil Tatar State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Honored Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke with Daria Sayapova about her family, her years of study at the conservatory, her transition from mezzo-soprano to dramatic soprano, and what distinguishes Russian theatre from foreign productions.

– You were born in the Vladimir region, in the town of Gus-Khrustalny. How did you come to music?

I was six years old when I started studying piano at music school. At that time, I had already been attending ballet classes for about a year. At my grandparents’ house on my father’s side there was a German grand piano, on which, with my grandmother’s help, I began my first lessons. Unfortunately, the piano was in poor condition and could not be repaired, so later I was given a new piano. Combining several schools became difficult, and after two years I left ballet school, choosing music.

– Was your family musical?

Yes. On holidays our large, close-knit family would gather: we staged small theatrical performances, sang choral and solo romances, opera arias, duets, and songs accompanied by piano, accordion, or guitar. My grandfather, who conducted an amateur choir and collected rare sheet music editions, was a great admirer of voices, especially basses; recordings of Fyodor Chaliapin and Boris Shtokolov were often played at home. One of my aunts is a professional concert singer at the philharmonic; another is a professional choir conductor. My father graduated from music school as an accordion player and has a naturally beautiful baritone voice. So music has always been part of my environment.

– After school you entered the Vladimir Music College for choral conducting. Why did you choose this field?

After graduating from music school at 14, I planned to enter the Vladimir music college, but my father did not want to let me move to another city at that age, so I stayed for grades 10–11. By the end of school I considered many professions: journalism, TV presenting, dramatic acting, translation… Eventually I leaned toward a technical university. But my grandmother Zoya, after whom I was named, firmly insisted on musical education.

I had barely played piano for two years, so I had to urgently prepare for entrance exams within a month. I did not reach the required level for piano faculty, so I was offered choral conducting. Two days before the exam, my aunt helped me learn conducting with both hands on the song “Eh, Dorogi,” and from my grandfather’s collection we found a romance by Dargomyzhsky, “I Feel Sad,” which I quickly learned. I passed the exams successfully and was admitted.

– How did you begin studying vocal performance?

I always loved singing, dancing, reciting poetry, and performing, but I never felt I had strong vocal abilities. My range was limited: I could not sing higher than F5. In my fourth year, I casually attended a vocal lesson with Elena Nazarovskaya. She immediately extended my range from low F to high F (three octaves), revealing a full, voluminous voice. It felt like a miracle.

Later, my music literature teacher Dmitry Kirеev noticed my voice and recommended I audition at the Gnessin Academy with Valentina Levko. I came without sheet music and had to sing a cappella, which surprised her, but she confirmed my talent and advised me to enter the conservatory.

– Why did you choose Nizhny Novgorod for higher education?

I initially wanted Moscow, but chose Nizhny Novgorod first because exams there started two days earlier. After a successful audition, I planned to go to Moscow, but the next morning I completely lost my voice. In Nizhny Novgorod I studied with Svetlana Livshina, who warmly supported me.

– How was your conservatory training?

After choral conducting, vocal studies were relatively easy. I performed with the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony Orchestra, won competitions such as Mikhail Balakirev and Bella Voce, and loved Italian language and chamber music classes. I was already mature and understood my path clearly.

– How did you train in Svetlana Livshina’s class?

Traditional training, focused on European singing culture and Italian technique, working on phrasing and expression. I regret not having learned a larger operatic repertoire during studies.

– How did the transition from mezzo-soprano to soprano happen?

There were doubts about my voice type throughout my career. I worked as a mezzo for many years in St. Petersburg and Kazan. The turning point was an audition at the Mariinsky Theatre for Eboli in Don Carlo. They suggested transitioning to soprano. It was risky, but I worked with tenor Alexander Tikhonchuk and gradually learned roles like Lisa, Tosca, Turandot, Abigaille.

A turning point came when I was invited to sing Tosca in Vladivostok with only two weeks of preparation. The debut was successful, and a new stage of my career began. What I could not achieve in 12 years as a mezzo, I achieved in 4 years as a soprano.

– How did you join the Kazan theatre?

I was invited while still in St. Petersburg. I auditioned for Zerlina in Don Giovanni, was accepted into a project, and later joined the company. The conditions were excellent and allowed artistic freedom.

– What does the Kazan theatre mean to you?

It is my home. I went through all stages there, from small roles to major ones, and the audience’s response always inspires me.

– Differences between Russian and foreign opera theatre?

European productions often focus more on psychology and detailed interpretation, with longer rehearsal periods. In Russia, orchestras tend to sound denser, and singers need more power due to hall acoustics.

– Your attitude toward modern directing?

If the direction is meaningful, logical, and respects music and plot, I fully support it.

– Audience differences?

Audiences are unpredictable. Once in Kazan during Tosca, after the murder of Scarpia, the audience suddenly started applauding — something I had never experienced elsewhere.

– Most unusual role?

The Foreign Princess in Rusalka, especially in different productions (Bolshoi vs Glyndebourne).

– Self-criticism?

Moderately. I always record performances and analyze them.

– Favorite singers?

Depends on the role: Nilsson, Dimitrova, Callas, Tebaldi, Vishnevskaya, Milashkina, Gulégina.

Blitz:

Favorite role: Leonora (Il Trovatore)
Last book: My Friend Puccini Tells by Arnaldo Fraccaroli
Pets: two koi carp
Most beautiful theatre: San Carlo, Naples
Dream roles: Lady Macbeth, Kundry

]]> Being a beautiful woman in opera… https://zoyatsererina.com/tpost/rkizeakk01-being-a-beautiful-woman-in-opera https://zoyatsererina.com/tpost/rkizeakk01-being-a-beautiful-woman-in-opera?amp=true Wed, 09 Mar 2022 21:00:00 +0300 Interview for Trend Life

Being a beautiful woman in opera…

BAKU / Trend Life — International competition laureate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Verona, and Dresden, Zoya Tsererina made her debut on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre as Floria Tosca in Puccini’s Tosca, and the Azerbaijani audience literally showered the soloist with standing ovations…

In 2020, Zoya Tsererina debuted at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. Prior to that, she performed at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Bonn Opera, Dortmund Opera, the Warsaw Grand Theatre, the Musa Jalil Tatar State Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theatre (with tours in Thailand), the Nizhny Novgorod Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Glyndebourne Festival. She has collaborated with conductors such as Robin Ticciati, Marco Boemi, Paul Esswood, Stefano Ranzani, Anton Lubchenko, Gintaras Rinkevicius, Miloš Krejči, Vasily Valitov, Oliver von Dohnányi, among others, and has toured in the USA, the Netherlands, France, the UK, and Cyprus.

– Can you call yourself a lucky person on your chosen path?

Absolutely! I do what I truly love. I’ve been lucky with roles, especially over the past five years.

– Your biography includes several transitional periods. How do you experience them?

They are links in the same chain. I graduated from choral conducting, and it still helps me — I understand music well and spend less time learning scores. For example, I learned the title role in La Gioconda by Ponchielli, which I performed in Bonn, in just five days.

As for the transition from mezzo-soprano to dramatic soprano — I even regret staying in the mezzo range for so long. But on the other hand, I understand that if it had happened earlier, I might have risked vocal fatigue.

– What is the voice for an opera singer?

It is an instrument, like a violin for a musician. It is something we refine throughout our entire lives. We take care of it very carefully — avoiding excessive strain and limiting speaking outside the stage.

– Do you always want to sing?

It depends on the music. Music is the decisive factor. Some works you want to sing, others less so. It depends on how close it feels to you and how much of your soul resonates with it.

– Is there music your soul would never respond to?

There are many roles offered to me. Sometimes I understand that a certain role is not close to me and I refuse it. Sometimes not because of the music itself, but because of how the voice “exists” within it.

When I have a choice, I choose what is best for my voice — the right tessitura, comfort for my soul.

– Do you ever accept “resistance roles”?

I try to avoid them right away — at the offer stage. I understand the vocal load and the energy it requires. The voice is not an unlimited resource — it must be used wisely.

I don’t aim to sing into “deep autumn of life.” I want to sing while my voice allows it.

– Opera involves many foreign languages.

I even learned a role in Tatar! The score was extremely thick. Before starting a new role, I always study the basics of the language — even using a self-study guide. It helps me enormously.

If I hadn’t chosen opera, I would have become a translator. I love working with languages.

– Are you curious?

Very. It is fascinating to discover new worlds, languages, and ways of thinking.

– Is opera part of that same curiosity?

Of course. Different composers, schools, aesthetics — opera is endlessly diverse.

– A foreign language is like an ice hole…

It’s more like the first shock. Then you realize you can swim in it comfortably.

For example, at Glyndebourne I was offered a role in Czech — while I was singing Turandot and Abigaille at the time. At first I hesitated, but then I agreed. It turned out the Foreign Princess in Rusalka was perfectly suited to my voice. That role became a turning point in my career — my “lucky ticket.”

– Is there a difference between Tosca in Baku, Kazan, or at the Bolshoi?

They are all different. I take something from every director I have worked with. There are no rigid constraints — I am given freedom to create.

– Relationships with new stage partners?

With experience, you quickly understand a partner’s nature. I am not a prejudiced person — I work with whoever is there, like water adapting to its form.

– Do you use feminine tools on stage?

Not deliberately. It happens spontaneously — I don’t consciously “switch on” femininity.

– Does opera allow improvisation?

Very much so. You can adjust tempo, phrasing, colour. Sometimes inspiration comes during performance itself.

– Do you want to become a stage director?

Sometimes I think about it. I watch many productions and collect ideas. But directing is a completely different level — it requires a different way of thinking.

– “Being a beautiful woman in opera…”

It certainly gives an advantage — it helps you feel more confident. Opera requires not only voice, but also visual presence. But the most important thing remains the voice and its mastery.

Sometimes, after the first notes, appearance stops mattering altogether — transformation happens on stage.

– Do you love the stage?

It is a complicated love… almost painful. Because it is work, and sometimes struggle. Some evenings everything flows, sometimes nothing works and you must search for solutions in real time.

– Is it magic?

Yes, but a mysterious one. You can never fully master it.

– How do you like Baku?

I am delighted! From the first moment I stepped off the plane — such kind people, such culture, such atmosphere. It is my first visit, and I am deeply impressed.

– And the theatre?

The acoustics are incredible — unlike anything I have ever heard. Perhaps only Teatro di San Carlo in Naples gave a similar impression. The orchestra, conductor, singers — everything is excellent. The atmosphere is inspiring and festive.

]]> In Glyndebourne, I found myself in a magical world https://zoyatsererina.com/tpost/2zsvv5xs51-in-glyndebourne-i-found-myself-in-a-magi https://zoyatsererina.com/tpost/2zsvv5xs51-in-glyndebourne-i-found-myself-in-a-magi?amp=true Tue, 24 Dec 2019 21:00:00 +0300 Interview for Musical Life magazine

In Glyndebourne, I found myself in a magical world

Opera singer Zoya Tsererina (ZT) has, in just four years, built a rapid European career, transforming her voice from mezzo-soprano to soprano and establishing herself in one of the most demanding dramatic soprano roles in the repertoire — Puccini’s Princess Turandot. She was guided through this vocal transition by her teacher Alexander Tikhonchuk, based in Paris and also her husband. After successful debuts in Bonn and Valencia, Tsererina was immediately invited to perform the role of the Foreign Princess in Dvořák’s Rusalka in a revival at the Glyndebourne Festival in Melly Still’s production. More recently, she made a triumphant debut at the Warsaw National Opera in the title role of Tosca under the baton of Patrick Fournillier. The singer spoke with Vladimir Dudin (VD) about her fairy-tale experience in Glyndebourne, her approach to Wagner, and her philosophy of opera.

VD: Today, Russian singers can be found at almost all major opera festivals. Still, an invitation to Glyndebourne is a special recognition of vocal achievement. How did you end up there?

ZT: It was completely unexpected for me to receive an invitation to sing at Glyndebourne. I was offered the role of the Foreign Princess in Rusalka without an audition. The casting department learned about me from a video recording of Turandot at the Kazan Opera — in fact, my debut in that role. However, the Princess is not as simple as it may seem; it is an intense, concentrated part that requires great strength, skill, and a large, resonant voice. It is actually closer to a mezzo role, with a dense middle register and very rich orchestration. That is when I understood why I had been chosen.

VD: Did you manage to feel the atmosphere of the festival?

ZT: It felt as if I had entered a magical world where everyone is happy: smiling, laughing, and in a positive mood. You leave rehearsal still hearing: “You sounded wonderful! Magical!” At Glyndebourne this is normal — people constantly encourage each other with “Bravo!”, maintaining a sense of celebration. Everyone — colleagues, drivers, cleaners, costume staff, makeup artists — is smiling and friendly. It was deeply inspiring. Even before performances, representatives of the management would come into the dressing room to wish us luck, and afterwards to congratulate us. They made us feel truly important, part of a unified festival team.

VD: Did conductor Robin Ticciati also follow this spirit of generous praise?

ZT: Robin left the impression of a very positive musician who creates real magic on stage. Singing under his direction was a great artistic pleasure. He immediately liked my voice and often exclaimed “beautiful sound!” after rehearsals. Of course, he gave notes on phrasing and rhythm, but always in a very delicate manner. If something needed correction, he would quietly come over and whisper it.

VD: How did you work on the Czech language in Rusalka?

ZT: There were several coaches — around five — for language, music, and dramaturgy. We worked with each of them individually. I prepared the role with Irène Kudela from the Opéra Bastille in Paris, one of the best Rusalka specialists. Czech is quite unusual, but at a deeper level it felt familiar because it is a Slavic language. Czech audience members at the premiere said everything sounded very natural.

VD: How did the director approach the role of the Princess?

ZT: In this version, the Foreign Princess is not a villain. She loves the Prince and tries to win him over. The director told me: “From the very first note, you must make him fall in love with you.” She wanted a human, not fairy-tale reading — closer to modern audiences. “You must be like oxygen for the Prince,” she said. We were constantly asked to find subtext and psychological motivation.

Working on the production felt almost like filming a movie, especially since it was recorded for DVD. The director demanded very precise emotional work. At times it was surprising, even extreme, but on opening night everything suddenly came together.

VD: Modern opera seems to demand more acting from singers, as Elīna Garanča has noted.

ZT: That is true, but we still lack proper vocal school in acting. In my conservatory years, acting was taught in a traditional operatic style. I admire singers like Renata Tebaldi — her drama is in the voice itself. Today, acting sometimes dominates too much, and voices can suffer. Finding balance is very difficult.

VD: What happened after Rusalka?

ZT: I received offers for Abigaille, Minnie in La Fanciulla del West, and Wagner roles such as Sieglinde. But I am not yet ready for Wagner — I am still exploring whether I feel close to that world.

VD: What, in your view, is the philosophical essence of opera?

ZT: Opera brings us something profoundly beautiful and mysterious. Its stories always touch the deepest themes — soul, God, love, death. On stage, we as performers deal with these universal questions through our characters. It is a deep psychological journey. That is what fascinates me.

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