Summer master-class 2013 5.8. - 11.8.2013

Vocal technique/opera/lied Violin/viola/string quartet/improvisation Piano/chamber music/piano accompaniment

The masterclasses will take place in a picturesque place of Kerimäki in Savonlinna in a beautiful 19th century estate Kaukalinna. The opera and vocal technique course will be lead by the renowned Finnish opera singer Juha Kotilainen and Swedish soprano Eva Comét. The solo piano and lied courses will be held by professor of Saint-Petersburg Conservatory Irina Sharapova. The violin and viola courses, string quartet and improvisation will be taught by Oleg Larionov (Mariinsky Theatre orchestra, Turku Filharmonic orchestra). Piano accompaniment and chamber music will be lead by Maria Kamchilina-Larionova (Saint-Petersburg Conservatory, Turku Music Academy). There will be a possibility for two day workshop with renowned Finnish pianist Ilmo Ranta for extra charge. The cost: 450€ includes 6 individual lessons of 45

minutes each, accommodation and meals, sauna, concerts.

Juha Kotilainen

studied singing with Olavi Hautsalo and Matti Tuloisela at the Sibelius-Academy. He received his voice diploma in 1985 and has studied further at courses given by Thomas Hampson and Peter Berne in Austria. Juha Kotilainen made his debut at the Finnish National Opera as Dandini in Rossini's La Cenerentola in 1986, and he has sung several roles at the FNO since then, including Count Almaviva (The Marriage of Figaro), Jussi (Leevi Madetoja's Pohjalaisia/The Ostrobotnians), Marcello (La Boheme), Mamoud in John Adam's opera Klinghoffer's Death, Gunther in Wagner's Götterdämmerung, Mandryka (Arabella), Il Barone de Trombonok in Rossini's opera Il Viaggio a reims, (Count Tomsky (The Queen of theSpades), Faninal (Rosenkavalier) etc. In 1990's Juha Kotilainen was engaged at the Aalto Theater in Essen, where his roles included for ex. The title roles of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Bartok's Duke Bluebeard. Kotilainen has visited many opera houses in Europe such as Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Opera Lyon, De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, Chatelet in Paris,Liceu in Barcelona, Bolshoi in Mosckow,Grande Manuell Falla Opera in Cadiz etc. Kotilainen has sung also several times in Savonlinna Opera Festival. He visited 2004 in Dalhalla Opera Festival as

Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana. He has worked with many opera conducters as for ex. Leif Segerstam, Ulf Söderblom, Mikko Franc, Pietro Rizzo, Antonio Pappano, Kazuzi Ono and Muhai Tang. Juha Kotilainen has premiered a number of Finnish new operas by Eino-Juhani Rautavaara and Aulis Sallinen. During last years Kotilainen has premiered new operas by Olli Kortekangas' Isän tyttö (Savonlinna Opera Festival 2007, FNO 2009), Timo-Juhani Kyllönen's El libro de los Reyes (Cadiz 2007 and Esbo -09), Jani Siven's Abelard&Heloise (Esbo 2008), Ilkka Kuusisto's Taipaleenjoki (Ilmajoki Music Festival 2010-12) Mikko Heiniö's Kung Erik XIV (Åbo2011) and Markus Fagerud's Una espera inesperada (2012 Musictheater Kapsäkki Helsinki) Juha Kotilainen's repertoire also includes solo songs, from classical Lied to contemporary works. He has appeared in Bach's Matthew Passion, St.John Passion (also as semi-staged in FNO) and Haydn's Creation and Jahrezeiten several times under Peter Schreier, in Bach's B minor Mass under Harry Christophers and Helmut Rilling and as an oratorio soloist under Esa-Pekka Salonen and many others. Last engagements with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra: Psalmus by Uuno Klami and Jahrezeiten by Haydn. With the Helsinki Philharmonic: Schönberg's Gurre-Lieder and Luciano Berio's Stanze scored for baritone in Musica Nova Festival. During 2006-2011 Kotilainen has sung Schubert's Winterreise for ex. in Japan and Schumann's Dichterliebe in Germany, Schottland and in South-America in Peru. 2012 Kotilainen sang Olli Mustonen's 1. sinfonia baritone part with Tampere Philharmonic (world premier) and with Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra.

Oleg Larionov

has graduated in 2005 as soloist, chamber ensemble and orchestra musician from Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. During 2004-2011 Mr.Larionov has worked at Mariinsky Theatre opera and symphony orchestra. As solo viola of the orchestra he had played symphony and opera repertory in Saint Petersburg and in Japan, USA, Israel, Cyprus, South-Korea, Germany under the batons of Valery Gergiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Christoph Eschenbach, Pierre Boulez, Mariss Jansons, Paavo Järvi, Gianandrea Noseda and Nikolaj Znaider. As a soloist he had cooperated with the orchestra of Rimsky-Korsakov School of Music, Joensuu Conservatory Orchestra and korean Prime Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Larionov has received awards at National and International chamber music competitions. Oleg Larionov had given masterclasses in viola playing

at Suwon University in South-Korea in 2010. He is a regular guest artist at many chamber music festivals such as Jeunes Talents, Red Sea, Cercle Stravinsky, Three Centuries and

others and has given numerous recitals with Sonorus string quartet and Belle Etage piano quartet at the Philharmonic Hall and Mariinsky Concert Hall among others. Currently Mr. Larionov has a permanent position at Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland. Oleg Larionov's vivid and deep interest in classical music has eventually lead him to composition which he studies under the guidance of one of most prominent Russian composers of the day – professor Sergey Slonimsky. Larionov's compositions for voice have been performed by soloists of Mariinsky Theatre Dombrovskaya, Vitman, Muraviev and Romanov. His instrumental works have received high acclaim at the Faculty of Composition of Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, Fin-de-ciecle Modern Music Festival and via his youtube channel. Oleg Larionov is a member of Teosto RY and FIMIC.

Irina Sharapova

pianist, professor of St. Petersburg Conservatory, Honored Artist of Russia, art Director of International Festival-Competition «Three century of classical romances». She has graduated St. Petersburg (Leningrad) Conservatory with piano diploma, then completed her postgraduate study in Chamber Ensemble with leading Russian professors of that discipline. Since that time to this day she has been teaching Chamber Ensemble and Accompaniment at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In the same time she has led varied artistic career, performing as singer's accompanist and chamber musician, partnered many of renowned vocal soloists and ensemble. She performs with soloists of Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres with most diversified programs including hundreds of pieces, from ancient European and Russian music till contemporary composers. The Russian vocal classics is the core of Irina Sharapova concert activity. Following this theme, she has carried out a line of projects including great concert series and records, broadcasts and telecasts. Among them are «The Anthology of Russian romance», «Russian musical culture of XVIII - XX centuries», «Two centuries of Russian romance». Now she is one of organizers, heads and constant participants of extensive International Festival-competition «Three century of classical romances». Alongside Irina Sharapova continues intensive performances with her favorite national trio «Russian virtuoso project» both other ensembles and instruments, last time giving the increasing preference to harp music.The other sides of her activity are performance (mostly the First performance) of contemporary music in different genres, preparation of new musical editions, tours in the European countries and USA, master classes on art of vocal and instrumental accompaniment.

Maria Kamchilina-Larionova

studied solo piano under guidance of professor Pavel Egorov at Saint-Petersburg State Conservatory. Prize-winner of International Competitions, scholarship holder of the Fund of Female Trustees of the Conservatory and the Lions’ Club in Finland. Has performed as a soloist of symphony orchestras, has been music superintendent and the leading soloist in project «Kaikkien Nimi On Mina» to the music of J.S. Bach and XX century. Has worked as invited pianist at the symphony orchestra Joensuun Sinfonia and as piano accompanist at a conservatory in Finland. A perceptive and artistically inclined ensemble player and piano accompanist Maria Kamchilina-Larionova works in close cooperation with People’s Artist of Russia composer Sergey Slonimsky and distinguished musicians and singers Oleg Larionov, Sergey Skorokhodov, Sergey Muravyev, Elena Vitman and Mariinsky Chamber

Orchestra. For several years has cooperated with major projects of Saint-Petersburg State Conservatory – International Competition for Opera Singers «Saint-Petersburg», «Three Centuries of Classic Romance» and «Fin de Siecle». Performs regularly on stages of the Small Philharmonic Hall, Alexander Glazunov Hall, the Academic Capella, the White Hall of the Polytechnic University the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall. Former engagements include a lieder-evening with soprano Z. Dombrovskaya and performance of R. Schumann Piano Quartet on the composer’s bicentenary at the Small Philharmonic Hall, premiere performance of 3 Songs by O. Larionov at Mariinsky Theatre and chamber music recitals. Maria has worked as correpetitor at the production of Heinio's opera Eerik XIV for Turku Music Festival. Maria works currently as piano-accompanist for violin and cello at Turku Music Academy. Her upcoming engagements include a lieder recital with soprano Anastasya Kalagina at the Grand Philharmonic Hall in Saint-Petersburg and chamber music concert with Turku filharmonic orchestra.

Eva Comét

dramatic soprano and pedagogue was born in Lund and raised in Oskarshamn, Sweden. Comét is now since several years a resident of Karis, Finland. She made her scenic debut as Hanna Glawari, name-part

of "The Merry Widow" at the Opera in Björneborg (Pori). The diplomaed singer Eva Comét began her scenic education at Operastudio 67 in Stockholm, Sweden, under the guidance of Miklos Kundler. In 2008 she finished her pedagogue-education and in 2009 she got her Voice-diploma with highest possible testimonial at the University for Applied Sciences, Metropolia Helsinki. Comét has studied voice under a.o. Birgith Stenberg, Berit Lindholm, Margaretha Haverinen-Brandt and Ritva Eerola. In the spring of 2009 she gave her debut-recital at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki together with her duo-partner Tuula Hällström. Since completing her studies, Eva has had the benefit of performing in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the USA. She has since the autumn of 2008 had very close collaborations with Professor George Buckbee that has resulted in the acquirement of many new parts such as Sieglinde, Turandot and Tosca. During the last five years Eva has produced operas under the motto "Opera at common arenas" i.e. actively working to make Opera accessible to all. With these productions she has toured in Finland and Sweden at small cities and rural areas. Eva Comét has since 2004 piloted choirs as well as professional singers and beginners into the enchanting world of vocal music. As a pedagogue she is persistent, honest and positively energetic.

Ilmo Ranta

studied at the Sibelius Academy with Liisa Pohjola and received his diploma in 1984. He went on to complete further studies in Munich with Klaus Schilde, György Sebök, Dmitri Bashkirov, Ralf Gothóni and Hartmut Höll. Currently Ranta teaches chamber music and piano at the Sibelius Academy. Ilmo Ranta gave his debut concert in 1985. He has since given numerous solo recitals and has performed as soloist with the most important orchestras in Finland. Ranta has a strong reputation as a versatile chamber musician both in Finland and abroad. He is recognised as a first-class Finnish Lied pianist, who has regularly performed with singers such as Karita Mattila, Monica Groop, Jorma Hynninen, Topi Lehtipuu ja Petteri Salomaa. Ranta has also made several recordings with

singers for BIS and Ondine and CPO among other labels. Ranta is a widely appreciated performer of modern music and has performed several world premiere works by Usko Meriläinen, Paavo Heininen, Jouni Kaipainen and Eero Hämeenniemi, among others. He has also recorded new Finnish music with flutist Mikael Helasvuo. Some of his most significant solo recordings include The Second Piano Concerto with the Helsinki City Orchestra and Pluton for piano and electronics by Paavo Heininen. In 1996–1991 Ilmo Ranta was the artistic director of the Joroinen Music Festival and of the Sibelius Academy

Concert Series. Since 2007 Ilmo Ranta is the artistic director a serial Lied concerts arranged by Taidekoti Kirpilä - Kirpilä Art Collection together with the Sibelius Academy.

Enquiries and registration:

Via-Akatemia, via.akatemia@via.fi Registration due date 20.06.2013

Address:

Viitamäentie 189 58200 Kerimäki, FINLAND

Phone:

+358 15 543 112 (office) +358 40 825 5165 (mobile)

Sinikka Juntura

www.via.fi