On March 22, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory hosted the Ave Maria concert, featuring some of the finest musical interpretations dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Polina Shamaeva (mezzo-soprano), a soloist of the E. V. Kolobov Moscow Theatre “Novaya Opera” and winner of the fifth season of the television competition The Great Opera on the Russia–Culture channel, and Elena Loginova (coloratura soprano), a laureate of international vocal competitions, performed famous arias by Bach, Gounod, Mozart, Schubert, Pergolesi, and other composers. The concert featured the Academic Grand Choir “Masters of Choral Singing,” led by Artistic Director and Conductor Lev Kontorovich, with the participation of renowned organist Elena Keylina.
Ave Maria (Latin for “Hail Mary”) is the famous Catholic prayer named after the opening words of its Latin text. The ancient melody served as the basis for numerous polyphonic arrangements by Renaissance masters, while the text inspired composers of the Romantic era. Many composers created vocal works entitled Ave Maria, but Schubert’s celebrated romance became by far the most famous. The March 22 concert presented a variety of interpretations of this prayer to the Virgin Mary, performed by talented artists Polina Shamaeva, Elena Loginova, and Elena Keylina.
Polina Shamaeva is a soloist of the E. V. Kolobov Moscow Theatre “Novaya Opera” and the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest. She won the fifth season of the television project The Great Opera on the Russia–Culture channel and received the Audience Choice Award in 2017. In 2021, she became a laureate of the VI National Opera Award “Onegin” in the “Favorite” category. She received her education at the M. and L. Rostropovich Voronezh Musical College, where she studied choral conducting, and at the V. S. Popov Academy of Choral Art, graduating with degrees in choral conducting (2011) and solo singing (2016). She performs with various ensembles at leading concert venues in Russia and abroad.
Coloratura soprano Elena Loginova is an outstanding chamber singer. She began her musical education at the S. V. Rachmaninoff Tambov State Musical College, studying choral conducting. In 2013, she graduated from the Academy of Choral Art with a degree in solo classical singing. She maintains an active concert career in Russia and abroad and is a laureate of numerous international vocal competitions.
Elena Keylina graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with degrees in organ performance and musicology. She performs solo recitals and as a member of various chamber ensembles. She was the artistic director of the Russian Consort Ensemble of Soloists, with which she toured throughout Europe. At different periods of her career, she lived and worked abroad, including in Jordan, Costa Rica, and France, where she organized and performed in major cultural projects. She currently lives in Austria and continues to perform actively throughout Europe.
