Gracias Choir

Boris Abalyan [Conductor]: Distinguished artist of Russia; Graduated from the Glinka Vocal Music School and the St. Petersburg Conservatory; Established a chamber orchestra LEGE ARTIS; Best Conductor at the Busan Choral Festival and Competition; Presently a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory; Presently the principal conductor of the Gracias Choir

Igor Lebedev [Pianist]: Distinguished artist of Russia; Served as judge in the Citta di Senigallia Concours (Italy); Served as judge in the Serebryakova National Concours (Russia); Presently the dean of the doctor’s program in the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia

Alexey Massarsky [Cellist]: Honored Artist of Russia; Grand Prize Winner of the International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen (Germany); Laureate of Belgrade International Competition and International Tchaikovsky Competition; Member of Rubinstein Trio and St. Petersburg Chamber Soloists; Current Professor of Cello at the St. Petersburg National Conservatory

Paul Edmund-Davis [Flutist]: Top player in the London Symphony Orchestra; Top player in the Philharmonic Orchestra; Top player in the English Chamber Orchestra; Presently a professor at the Royal College of Music

Pianist Mikhail Benediktov: 1st Prize Winner of the Rachmaninoff Competition in Volgograd, Russia; 2002-2008 Guest Soloist of the Mariinsky Theater; Current Professor of Piano at the St. Petersburg National Conservatory

Chingiz Osmanov[Violinist]: Graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia; Awarded Best Performer at the International Jascha Heifetz Competition For Violinists; Presently a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory

Oboist Victor Khussu: Top Graduate from St. Petersburg State Conservatory; Currently Principal Oboist at the Russia St. Petersburg Mariinsky Opera Theater Symphony Orchestra

Baritone Hyunsoo Choi: Awarded First Prize and Best Baritone Award at the G. Verdi International Competition in Italy; Awarded First Prize at the Mario del Monaco International Competition; Awarded Grand Prize at the Tenor Luciano Pavarotta International Competition; Awarded First Prize and Special Prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Russia; Currently a Professor at the Korea National University of Arts Academy of Music

OboistPavel Sokolov

· Solo Oboist at Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, German Symphony

· Professor at Norwegian Academy of Music

· Solo Oboist at St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

OboistLiang Wang

· Joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Oboe in 2006

· Recipient of the 2014 Beijing International Music Festival Artist of the Year award

CellistAlexander Ramm

· Graduate of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory

· Grand-Prix winner at the 2010 Beijing International Music Competition

· 2nd Prize winner of the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition

CellistIvan Karizna

· Graduate of Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse Paris

· 3rd Prize Winner of the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition

· Special Prize winner of the 2017 Queen Elisabeth Competition

Soprano Sunyoung Suh: Graduate of the Korea National University of Arts Academy of Music; Graduate of Düsseldorf Schumann National Academy of Music Best Performer Course; Won the Maria Callas International Voice Competition; Won the Woman’s Voice section of the Tchikovsky International Competition in Russia

Cellist Dmitry Eremin: Awarded the Daniil Shafran prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia; First place in the M. Yudina International Concours; Presently a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia

Soprano Galina Kiselyova: Graduated from St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia; Awarded at the Wagner’s Voices International Competition; Professor at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia; Soloist at the Opera and Ballet Theater of St. Petersburg State Conservatory and the Mariinsky Opera Theater

Baritone Hee Doh An: Graduate of Korea National University of Arts and Berlin University of the Arts; Awarded Special Prize at the Renata Tebaldi International Competition; Adviser to the Gracias Music School, Lectures at the Voice Department of Korea National University of Arts

Conductor Mikhall Golikov: Conducting Prize at the Ekaterinburg International Competition; Music Director and Conductor of the International Youth Orchestra of Tavicheskaya Kapella; Conductor of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory Orchestra

Pianist Pavel Raykerus: Awarded Frist Prize at the Anton G. Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Germany; Awarded Young Pianist Prize and First Prize at the Prokifiev International Competition in Russia; Adviser in Piano to the Gracias Music School

Soprano Veronika Dzhioeva: Winner of the Maria Callas International Music Competition; Awarded Grand Prize at the Amber Nightingale International Voice Competition; Soloist at the Novosibirsk National Opera and Ballet Theater

Pianist Izabella Krasnova: Awarded the Concertmaster Diploma at International Competitions in Russia, Geneva, Poland, and other countries.; Chief Concertmaster at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia

Violinist Hugo Ticciati: Awarded the Giovani Talenti and Mendelssohn Cup at the Italy International Competition; Violin Professor at Lilla Akademien in Stockholm, Sweden

Pianis Helena Abalyan: Graduate from St. Petersburg State Conservatory; Professor of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory Piano Department; Guest Performer at the Mariinsky Theater, Frequent Solo Recitals at Bian Barzu’s Hall in London, and other solo performances

Choral Conductor Russu Dmitry: Top Graduate of St. Petersburg State Conservatory Class of 2005; Currently studying at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory Graduate School

Clarinetist Vladimir Kashalaba: Graduated from St. Petersburg State l Conservatory in 1986; Winner of, and presented with the Modern Composer and Best Performer Diplomas at, the Russia Concourse

Violinist Anna Laukhina: Awarded Special Prize at the International Music Foundation; Tenured Professor at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory Undergraduate Strings Department

Tenor Sergei Nikulsin: Department Chair at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory Voice Department; Soloist at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory Opera and Ballet Theater

Mezzo Soprano Larissa Tedtoeva: Distinguished Artist of Russia; Department Head at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia

Soprano Ma Mei(馬梅): Soprano Soloist at the Chinese Central Opera; Collaborated with the three great tenors of the world including Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo

Gracias Choir & Orchestra: 2000 GraciasChoir Established; 2008 Gracias Christmas Cantata performance at Sydney Opera House in Australia; 2007-2008 Performance Series at the Theater at Madison Square Garden; 2009 Performance at Eisenstadt Haydn Hall commemorating the 200th year anniversary of the death of Haydn; 2010 Special Concert by personal invitation for the President of Paraguay at Palacio de Lopez; 2012 Performance at the 11th China International Chorus Festival & IFCM World Choral Summit Opening Ceremony held at Master Card Center in Beijing, China; 2013 Special Concert by personal invitation for the President of Tanzania at the Presidential Palace; 2014 Grand Prize, 13th Concorso Corale Internazionale Riva del Garda, Italy.; 2014 First Prize, Montreux Choral Festival, Switzerland.; 2015 The First Prize at the 14th Marktoberdorf Choral Competition in Germany, as well Romantic Choral Work Prize

Gracias Concert Artist