The defining moment

A life without music has never been imaginable for me. As the son of a choir director and a choir conductor, I literally came into contact with music in my mother's womb. I received my first piano lessons at the age of five. Soon afterwards, I continued my training at the renowned Glinka Choir School - a school steeped in tradition where my father and brother had already studied. The training there was intensive and comprehensive and prepared me excellently for my later professional life. I then studied conducting and singing at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg and completed both courses with distinction. To this day, I see myself - in terms of my approach to music - primarily as a conductor.

A formative figure on this path for me is the legendary conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky. Visiting his apartment, talking to his (now deceased) widow Alexandra Vavilina, touching his scores - all of this remains unforgettable for me.

My most important experiences also include my work as chief conductor of the symphony orchestra at the "Maxim Gorky" House of Sciences in St. Petersburg - an ensemble of professionals from various fields who performed with great dedication and at an astonishing level. In the spirit of my idol Mravinsky, I strived for the greatest possible perfection in every performance. I consider my years with this orchestra to be extremely valuable. And deep down, I am convinced that my path as a conductor is not over yet - because this is perhaps the way in which I can realize my musical ideas most perfectly.

Unlike many other singers, I was very lucky to have only one singing teacher - the wonderful Irina Bogacheva. I have her to thank for a reliable technique that is ideal for me and allows me to realize my musical ideas as a singer without compromise.

It was a special privilege to later share the stage with her as a colleague - in concerts and opera performances. I am impressed by artistic personalities who combine vocal perfection with unconditional devotion and deep respect for the work and its creator. Elena Obraszova was undoubtedly one of these personalities. An unforgettable moment was our joint performance of Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades at the Mikhailovsky Theater in 2012 - my debut as Yeletsky, she sang the Countess. It was one of her last performances. Her words after the performance still resonate with me today: "I am happy to be singing with you."

As in every artist's life, there were turning points that had a decisive influence on my future path. It often depends on a single moment whether a big step happens soon, much later - or not at all. For me, one of these moments was my audition at the Vienna State Opera in February 2018. Ever since I was a child, it had been a dream to sing at this opera house - not just anywhere, but right there: at the Vienna State Opera, with the wonderful State Opera Orchestra (the Vienna Philharmonic) and in a country that defines its identity largely through music and culture. At the time, however, this dream seemed completely unrealistic to me. I could never have imagined that just a few years later I would be singing over 50 performances in leading roles at this opera house and that, as an Austrian citizen, I would call Vienna my second home.

It all began with this audition - and a surprising phone call two months later: I was to stand in as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia. I was unsure whether I was up to the task, but my agent at the time encouraged me - and so began my very personal love story with the Haus am Ring. And it remains a central part of my artistic life to this day.