Mikhail Petrenko - modern Chaliapin

Connoisseurs and connoisseurs of opera and classical music are well aware of the name of Mikhail Petrenko. Inveterate theatergoers, critics, the vast majority of viewers enthusiastically respond to his performances. They say that the performance with his participation is a real celebration, and solo concerts, which, by the way, happen quite rarely, are simply happiness for the music lover!

Childhood and youth

Mikhail Petrenko was born and studied in St. Petersburg. He sang from early childhood, but the road to success and worldwide fame was long and thorny. The chic velvet bass did not immediately appear, which is now awarded with the epithets “golden”, “brilliant”, “rolling”, “deep”, “exciting”, “rich” ... But the talent of an opera singer, vocalist was noticed even in a music school. Then he studied hard at the Conservatoire of St. Petersburg, perfected his technique, and gained mastery at the academy, which trained young singers for work at the Mariinsky Theater. And here is the first performance. Prokofiev, "Semyon Kotko." As Mikhail himself later recalled, he was terribly worried. Straight knees were trembling. But for him the excitement is still divided into two categories: excitement-uplift and excitement-panic. The main thing is not to let yourself panic. In 1998, the young vocalist was enrolled in the troupe, he became the soloist of the Mariinsky Theater.

The road to glory is the glorious road

Almost twenty years have passed since then, and events, meetings, concerts - for two centuries is enough! More than twenty roles performed only in the native theater! Of these, the famous Mephistopheles from “Faust”, King Mark and the king of Egypt, Philip II from “Don Carlos” and many, many others. Positive or negative heroes - no difference! The deep, lively and sensual bass of Mikhail Petrenko makes his heart beat faster, empathize with what is happening on the stage, sympathize even with the negative character! In an interview, the singer admitted that success on stage does not only consist of vocal talent. Acting skills plus the charisma of an actor’s personality are also needed. In each performance it is necessary to bring emotions to the viewer, to give all the best to the soul.

In 2004, the opera bass Mikhail Petrenko gained popularity abroad. He is invited to perform at the Berlin Opera (Valkyrie), where the wonderful bass in Hunding’s part did not go unnoticed. Offers come from Paris, New York, Milan, London, are invited to the Bavarian State Opera and many more prestigious places.

The film “Juan”, shot based on the famous “Don Juan” by Mozart, where he played the role of Leporello, also speaks of the outstanding talent of the popular artist. The tape was first shown in October 2010 and received rave reviews from film critics and art lovers.

One on one with the listener

In addition to performances in the theater, Mikhail Petrenko gives solo concerts, working closely with Honored Artist of Russia Marina Mishuk, who is his permanent accompanist.

Solo performances of the famous bass are quite rare. “I would like to meet with the audience more often. Making a solo program is much more difficult, and it takes longer to prepare. There are no comrades on stage, no support. But it's worth it, ”says Mikhail.

For example, a concert solo program with the romances of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, dedicated to the Chernobyl tragedy, held on April 26, 2011 in Moscow, caused a great resonance among connoisseurs of cultural heritage. The performer's repertoire is vast and very diverse in subject. From the almost children's “My Lizochek is very sweet” by P. Tchaikovsky to the most complicated and very serious works, such as the 9th Beethoven’s 9th symphony arranged for voice. And Shostakovich’s 13th symphony “Babi Yar”, called “vocal confession”, caused a most intense storm of emotions among the audience.

The singer brilliantly presents the works of M. Glinka, although he himself once noted that Glinka is not easy to perform in the sense of technology, in his music there are no pauses for relaxation. Although Mikhail spoke about the party in Ruslan, it can be argued that this is one of the hallmarks of M. Glinka's vocal style. Filling the works with emotions, sometimes violent drama, sometimes with subtle lyricism, demonstrating amazing vocal technique, M. Petrenko brings uniqueness of performance to famous melodies. Maybe that's why he was given the honor to play Ruslan at the opening of the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater after the restoration in November 2011.

Competition is a step towards recognition

The story of the original talented opera singer Petrenko would be incomplete without mentioning various vocal competitions and festivals with his participation. Competitions by Placido Domingo and Elena Obraztsova, a competition named after Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Maria Callas, and opera festivals with his participation simply can not be counted! As Mikhail himself admitted in an interview, he did not become a winner in any competition. Unfortunately. Indeed, indeed, without any doubt, worthy. Each time a trifle interfered - the notorious excitement, which "sometimes becomes a panic, not an upsurge." But he became a laureate every time! Now Michael appears in a new role. In June 2015, he became one of the jury members of the P. Tchaikovsky vocal competition.