"Helikon-Opera" theatre celebrated its twentieth birthday

13.04.2010

“Helikon-Opera” theatre celebrated it 20th anniversary

On the 10th of April of 2010 “Helikon-Opera” celebrated its twenty years anniversary.

The festive celebrations began on the 9th of April with the general meeting of the troupe. The artists performed the Grand Final from Verdi's "Aida". Artistic Director of the theatre Dmitry Bertman opened the meeting with the welcome speech. He presented the Honorary Presidium and gave the word to the President’s Adviser Yuri Laptev, who read the Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation to the collective of “Helikon-Opera” for the valuable contribution to the development of Russian musical culture and achieved creative success.

The Head of the Department of Culture of Moscow Sergey Khudiakov spoke after Yuri Laptev. Sergey Khudiakov presented to the theatre a personal gift of the Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov and read the gratitudes from the Mayor of Moscow, the First Deputy of the Mayor Ludmila Shvetsova and The Department of Culture of Moscow.

Then the word was presented to the Artistic Director’s Assistant Peter Shchenkov, who congratulated Dmitry Bertman and his colleagues and like–minded people Natalia Zagorinskaya, Natalia Aroutiunova, Elena Kachura, Olga Rezayeva, Vadim Zaplechny and Sergey Yakovlev, who worked with Bertman all those twenty years. Petr Schenkov also listed all the artists, who working in “Helikon-Opera” received titles of “The People’s Artist of Russia” (Natalia Zagorinskaya) and “The Honoured Artist of Russia” (Natalia Aroutiunova, Andrey Vylegzhanin, Ksenia Viaznikova, Alisa Gitsba, Anna Grechishkina, Elena Gushchina, Nikolay Dorozhkin, Vadim Zaplechny, Rashit Kabirov, Marina Karpechenko, Elena Kachura, Denis Kirpanev, Larisa Kostiuk, Tatiana Merezhko, Ekaterina Oblezova, Anatoly Ponomarev, Alexander Raev, Igor Tarasov, Sergey Toptygin, Pavel Chudnovsky, Sergey Yakovlev). He also mentioned that the soloists Marina Andreyeva, Elena Ionova and Tatiana Kuindji received the titles of “The Honoured Artists of Russia” upon the presentation of Moscow Philharmony, “Moscow Operetta”  theatre and Perm Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The decent title of “The Honoured Worker of Culture of Russia” was given to Ilya Ilin, the Deputy of Artistic Director in Creative Groups. For the last years the departmental awards, honorary diplomas and gratitudes from the Ministry of culture were given to Svetlana Kvitchataya, Irina Onoprienko, Eugene Bank, Vladimir Vlasenko and Vladimir Makeev. Marina Vozhakina received the title of “The Honoured Worker of Culture of Moscow”, and Larisa Lotareva, Alla Zharikova, Sergey Kostiuk, Ludmila Shiryaeva and Elizaveta Serysheva received the diplomas and gratitudes of the Committee of Culture of Moscow.

After this historical reference Dmitry Bertman handed the honorary diplomas and gratitudes of the Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev to the leadership, artists and workers of the theatre Viktoria Pavlova, Vladimir Ponkin, Tatiana Tulubieva and Igor Nezhny, Natalia Zagorinskaya, Natalia Arutiunova, Alexander Borodovsky, Marina Vozhakina, Polina Vylegzhanina, Nikolay Galin, Vladimir Gorokhov, Natalia Dychenko, Vadim Zaplechny, Elena Zhelezina, Eugene Ilin, Elena Kachura, Tatiana Kuindji, Alexander Nilov, Dmitry Ovchinnikov, Tatiana Orobinskaya, Andrey Palamarchuk, Dmitry Ponomarev, Rostislav Protasov, Olga Rezayeva, Dmitry Skorikov, Elena Semenova, Svetlana Sozdateleva, Alexey Solomatin, Ekaterina Trebeleva, Ekaterina Fokina, Sergey Chechetko, Sergey Yakovlev.

After the awarding ceremony the co-chairpersons of Helikon-Opera’s Club of Friends the Member of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly Natalia Dementieva and Executive Manager of Corporate Relations of X5 Retail Company Yuri Kobaladze congratulated the troupe of the theatre. 
The traditional “Mnogaya Leta” was sang in the end of the meeting, then artists and guests communicated at the stand-up party and took pictures in the lounge of the theatre. Natalia Dementieva and Marina Kameneva presented the special dainties for Helikon – beautiful and tasty cakes.
On the 10th of April, on the birthday of the theatre, Helikon-Opera presented the unusual performance “The Perfect Opera. Vampuka, the African Bride”. The premiere of this opera in Dmitry Bertman’s production took place on the 1st of April in the Centre of Opera Singing. The leaders of the Centre of Opera Singing kindly presented to “Helikon-Opera” the decorations and costumes of the performance.

On the 10th and 11th of April the parts in the performance were played by Inna Zveniatskaya and Marina Karpechenko (Vampuka), Nikolay Dorozhkin and Dmitry Ponomarev (Lodyre), Mikhail Guzhov and Dmitry Ovchinnikov (Strafokamil), Anrey Vylegzhanin and Peter Morozov (Merinos), Alexey Dedov (High-Priest), Ekaterina Oblezova (Prompter), Marina Andreyeva and Anna Grechishkina (Cleaners), Alexey Elizarov and Mikhail Laverov (Prima Ballet Dancers), Andrey Orekhov (Executioner). Maestro Vladimir Ponkin was at the conductor’s stand.

In honour of theatre’s birthday Dmitry Bertman and artists of the theatre made a festive show. The congratulatory musical numbers from friends were plaited into the performance. That day artists of the Moscow Academical Musical Theatre named after K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, Galina Vishnevskaya’s Centre of Opera Singing, Moscow State Academic Chamber Musical Theatre named after Boris Pokrovsky, State Academic Theatre “Moscow Operetta”, Moscow State Academic Children’s Musical Theatre named after Natalia Sats, State Moscow Music-Hall under Platon Ravinsky, State Academic Central Dolls Theatre named after Sergey Obraztsov, representatives of Central House of Actors named after A. Yablochkina came to greet Helikon. People’s Artist of Russia Yuri Vedeneev brilliantly performed famous “Granada” and Alex Novikov played saxophone.

Greeting telegrams, letters and gifts were sent from Governor of Saint-Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, the Chairman of Moskomnasledie Valery Shevchuk, the leadership of URALSIB finance company and META Enlightment Fund, Orfey radio, UNS theatre (Baku), Et Cetera theatre, “Novaya Opera” Moscow theatre, Kaliningrad Musical Theatre “Na Basseynoy”, Moscow State Philharmony, “Muzykalnoe obozrenie” newspaper, “Moscow” book-store, Central House of Art Workers.

“Helikon-Opera” is grateful to everyone who visited and congratulated our theatre those festive days.