The RSUTA graduate Alexey Smirnov, who has won the III International young director competition “Nano-Opera” received an invitation to pass his training at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. During the final round of the competition NOVAT’s chief stage director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev awarded a contestant from Moscow with a special diploma and an invitation by to put an opera on the Novosibirsk stage.
“Alexey Smirnov has become one of the most remarkable contestants – told the juror, NOVAT’s chief stage director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev – His work was interesting to observe since the very first round, when he came up with an intriguing directing solution for the Cherubino’s aria from “La Nozze di Figaro”.
Alexey Smirnov has already taken part in Larisa Gergieva competition some time ago, on the result of that he staged Grigory Frid’s “The Letters of Van Gogh” in the Mariinsky theatre. The young director comprises five baroque music productions in semi-stage form at the Moscow theatre named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko.
This year the competition was first time aired on the “Russia - Culture” TV channel, and drew 300 thousand viewers, watching online the opera performances being prepared. The viewers also had an opportunity to vote for a favorite contestant on the website.
The international professional judges decided the following: the Grand-Prix goes to Ruslan Bitsoev (Vladikavkaz); the First Prize winner is Dmitry Otyakovsky (St. - Petersburg), Second Prize goes to Daniil Dmitriev (Pskov), Third Prize is divided by contestants from Moscow – Elizaveta Moroz and Alexey Smirnov. Moreover, the international media jury consistent of the best highly appreciated the performance of a RSUTA graduate, who studied at Alexander Titel studio, and gave him a special prize. Alexey Smirnov also received a special prize of the “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” newspaper.
“It was in the very first round when Alexey Smirnov drawed attention of the professional jury – noted Vyacheslav Starodubtsev. – But his work on the crowd scene of the “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” in third round became one of the most memorable scene of all the contest”.
