Vasily Gerello: “My theater is the whole globe. Vasily Gerello

Gerello, Vasily Georgievich(born March 13, 1963, Vaslovovtsy, Ukrainian SSR) - Opera singer, soloist Mariinsky Theater, People's Artist of Russia, Honored Artist of Ukraine.

Vasily Gerello was born in the village of Vaslovtsy, Chernivtsi region (Ukraine).

Already as a little boy he began to sing, sometimes to earn money for his clothes. As a teenager, he sang and played the accordion - a trophy German "Hochner" donated by his father - at weddings. At the same time, Vasily mastered playing the button accordion, accordion, trumpet and saxophone.

Own musical education Gerello started at the Chernivtsi Musical College, but a year later he was drafted into the army, where he played in a brass band.

While serving in the army, Vasily met his future wife Alena. They met at a dance at the House of Officers in Chernivtsi. A friend brought her to see handsome guy who played the guitar and sang. Vasily worked part-time at the dances in the evenings. It was love at first sight. October 8, 1983 Vasily and Alena registered their marriage.

After serving in the army, Vasily Gerello enters the same School of Music for the vocal department. But he does not graduate from college, and without a diploma he enters the Leningrad Conservatory in the class of Serval Nina Alexandrovna, whom Gerello mentions with gratitude in most interviews.

In 1991, V. Gerello graduated from the conservatory.

In 1990, being a 4th year student at the Conservatory, Vasily Gerello was invited to join the troupe of the Mariinsky Theatre. Thanks to Valery Gergiev, who listened to the student Gerello and believed in his voice, Vasily was invited to the Mariinsky Theater, and to the main parts. Gerello's debut was Valentine in Faust, soon there were the roles of Onegin, Rodrigo.

He became the first person to sing La Traviata in the original language at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Also in student years the singer made his foreign debut: on the stage of the Netherlands Opera in the play "The Barber of Seville" he sang the part of Figaro. Working with the wonderful conductor Alberto Zedda, a professional in his field, who studies the music of Rossini and with the director Dario Fo, Nobel laureate- more than a serious achievement for a novice singer.

Vasily Gerello tours with the Mariinsky Theater Company to Spain, Italy, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland (Mikkeli Festival), France and Portugal. Invited by the largest opera houses in the world, including the Bastille Opera (Paris), Dresden Semperoper, Deutsche Oper and Berlin state opera, Metropolitan Opera (New York), Vienna State Opera, Theater Royal Covent Garden (London), Teatro La Fenice (Venice), Canadian National Opera (Toronto), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Teatro San Paolo ( Brazil), Opera Santiago de Chile, La Scala (Milan), opera houses in Amsterdam and Bergen.

The singer leads an active concert activity. He participated in a concert of young soloists from countries Pacific Ocean in opera house San Francisco, performed a chamber solo program at the Châtelet Theatre, sang in the Belcanto concert with symphony orchestra Belgium. He has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall) and London (Royal Albert Hall), with the Dallas and New York Symphony Orchestras.

Gives solo concerts on the stage Concert Hall Mariinsky Theatre, performs with charity concerts on the stages of St. Petersburg. Participant of many international festivals, including VII International Festival"Music big Hermitage”, XIV International music Festival"Palaces of St. Petersburg", the festival "Stars of the White Nights" and the Moscow Easter Festival.

Performs with worldwide famous conductors– Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Muti, Mung-Wun Chung, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi and many others.

Gerello is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, which allows him to feel like an artist of the world.

In 2000, the film-opera "War and Peace" (La guerre et la paix) directed by Francois Roussillon with Vasily Gerello in one of the main roles was released in France.

Vasily Gerello is actively involved in charity work, including establishing his own scholarship for children who study well at the gymnasium at the Russian Museum.

Vasily is married, his wife Alena, a choirmaster by education, did not build her career, devoting herself entirely to her husband's career. They have a son, Andrey Vasilyevich Gerello, a graduate of the law faculty of St. Petersburg State University. Parents - Georgy Vasilyevich and Domka Todorovna - live in Ukraine, Vasily's brother Vladimir and his sister Maria live there. Gerello is proud of the family tradition of his great-grandfather, an Italian native of Naples, a World War I soldier who fell in love with a Ukrainian girl.

• People's Artist of Russia (2008)
• Honored Artist of Ukraine (2006)
• Winner of the World Competition opera singers BBC Cardiff singer the world (1993)
• Laureate International Competition young opera singers ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (1st prize, St. Petersburg, 1994)
• Laureate of the Tsarskoye Selo Art Prize (1998)
• Laureate of the highest theater award Petersburg "Golden Soffit" (1999)
• Laureate music award Fortissimo, established by the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (nomination "Performing skills")
• Active member of the Academy of Peoples "Elite".

• Pastor ("Khovanshchina")
• Shchelkalov (Boris Godunov)
• Onegin ("Eugene Onegin")
• Robert ("Iolanthe")
• Tomsky and Yeletsky ("The Queen of Spades")
• Pantalone ("The Love for Three Oranges")
• Napoleon ("War and Peace")
• Figaro (The Barber of Seville)
• Henry Ashton ("Lucia di Lammermoor")
• Georges Germont (La Traviata)
• Renato (Un ballo in masquerade)
• Don Carlos ("Force of Destiny")
• Marquis di Posa ("Don Carlos")
• Macbeth ("Macbeth")
• Amonasro ("Aida")
• Ford ("Falstaff")
• Marseille ("La Boheme")
• Sharpless ("Madama Butterfly")
• Valentine ("Faust")
• Count Almaviva ("The Marriage of Figaro")

The singer's repertoire also includes the parts of the Duke (" Miserly knight”), a young Balearic (“Salambo”), Papageno (“The Magic Flute”), Julius Caesar (“Julius Caesar”), Simon Boccanegra (“Simon Boccanegra”), Richard Fort (“The Puritani”), Alfio (“Country Honor ”), Filippo Maria Visconti (“Beatrice di Tenda”), Tonio (“Pagliacci”), Don Carlos (“Ernani”), Count di Luna (“Troubadour”).

Partially used materials from the site http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Vasily Gerello is called the most Italian baritone of the Mariinsky Theatre. Gerello began his musical education in Chernivtsi in Ukraine, then went to distant Leningrad, where he entered the conservatory under Professor Nina Aleksandrovna Serval. Already from the fourth year, Gerello sang at the Mariinsky Theater. During his student years, the singer made his foreign debut: on the stage of the Amsterdam Opera in the play "The Barber of Seville" by the famous Dario Fo, he sang Figaro.

Since then, Vasily Gerello has become a laureate of several international vocal competitions. Now he is successfully working on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, touring with the Mariinsky troupe around countries and continents, performing at the best opera venues in the world. The singer is invited by the largest opera houses in the world, including Opera Bastille, La Scala, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Vasily Gerello received international recognition, in Italy he is called Basilio Gerello in his own way, and although the singer himself considers himself a Slav, he admits that from time to time Italian blood makes itself felt, because Vasily's great-grandfather was an Italian, a native of Naples.

Vasily Gerello leads an active concert activity. He participated in the Young Pacific Soloists Concert at the San Francisco Opera House, performed a chamber solo program at the Chatelet Theatre, performed at New York's Carnegie Hall and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The singer gives recitals on the stage of the Mariinsky Concert Hall, often gives charity concerts on the stages of St. Petersburg, and is also a participant in many international festivals, including the VII International Festival "Music of the Large Hermitage", the XIV International Music Festival "Palaces of St. Petersburg ”, the Stars of the White Nights festival and the Moscow Easter Festival.

Vasily Gerello performs with world-famous conductors: Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Muti, Mung-Wun Chung, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi and many others.

Vasily Gerello - People's Artist of Russia, Honored Artist of Ukraine. Laureate of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World World Opera Singing Competition (1993); Laureate of the International Competition for Young Opera Singers. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (1st prize, St. Petersburg, 1994), laureate of the highest theater award of St. Petersburg "Golden Soffit" (1999), laureate of the Fortissimo music award, established by the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov (nomination "Performing skills").

Vasily Georgievich Gerello(born March 13, 1963, Vaslovovtsy, Ukrainian SSR, USSR) - Soviet and Russian opera singer (baritone), soloist of the Mariinsky Theater since 1990. People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2008).

Biography

Vasily Gerello was born in the village of Vaslovtsy, Chernivtsi region (Ukraine).

Already as a little boy he began to sing, sometimes to earn money for his clothes. As a teenager, he sang and played the accordion - a trophy German Hohner donated by his father - at weddings. At the same time, Vasily mastered playing the button accordion, accordion, trumpet and saxophone.

Gerello began his musical education at the Chernivtsi Musical College, but a year later he was drafted into the army, where he played in a brass band.

While serving in the army, Vasily met his future wife Alena. They met at a dance at the House of Officers in Chernivtsi. She was brought by a friend to see a handsome guy who played the guitar and sang. Vasily worked part-time at the dances in the evenings. It was love at first sight. On October 8, 1983, Vasily and Alena registered their marriage.

After serving in the army, Vasily Gerello enters the same music school, in the vocal department. But he does not graduate from the school, and without a diploma he enters the Leningrad Conservatory in the class of Nina Alexandrovna Serval, whom Gerello mentions with gratitude in most interviews.

In 1991, V. Gerello graduated from the conservatory.

In 1990, being a 4th year student at the Conservatory, Vasily Gerello was invited to join the troupe of the Mariinsky Theatre. Thanks to Valery Gergiev, who listened to the student Gerello and believed in his voice, Vasily was invited to the Mariinsky Theater, and to the main parts. Gerello's debut was Valentine in Faust, soon there were the roles of Onegin, Rodrigo.

He became the first person to sing La Traviata in the original language at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Even in his student years, the singer made his foreign debut: on the stage of the Netherlands Opera in the play The Barber of Seville, he sang the part of Figaro. Working with the wonderful conductor Alberto Zedda, a professional in his field, who studies the music of Rossini, and with director Dario Fo, a Nobel laureate, was more than a serious achievement for the novice singer.

Vasily Gerello tours with the Mariinsky Theater Company to Spain, Italy, Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), Finland (Mikkeli Festival), France and Portugal. Invited by the largest opera houses in the world, including the Bastille Opera (Paris), the Dresden Semper Opera, the Deutsche Oper and the Berlin State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera (New York), the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Theater Covent Garden (London), the La Fenice Theater (Venice), Canadian National Opera (Toronto), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), Teatro San Paolo (Brazil), Opera Santiago de Chile, La Scala (Milan), opera houses in Amsterdam and Bergen.

The singer conducts an active concert activity. He participated in the concert of young soloists of the Pacific countries at the San Francisco Opera House, performed a chamber solo program at the Chatelet Theatre, and sang in the Belcanto Concerto with the Belgian Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in New York (Carnegie Hall) and London (Royal Albert Hall), with the Dallas and New York Symphony Orchestras.

Gives solo concerts on the stage of the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, performs with charity concerts on the stages of St. Petersburg. Participated in many international festivals, including the 7th International Music Festival of the Large Hermitage, the 14th International Music Festival Palaces of St. Petersburg, the Stars of the White Nights festival and the Moscow Easter Festival.

Performs with world-famous conductors - Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Muti, Mung-Wun Chung, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi and many others.

Gerello is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, which allows him to feel like an artist of the world.

In 2000, the film-opera "War and Peace" (La guerre et la paix) directed by Francois Roussillon with Vasily Gerello in one of the main roles was released in France.

AiF-Petersburg: - Vasily, I will not hide that the reason for the interview was not only my birthday, but also April 1 - I really want to talk with a cheerful, optimistic person. There are few such even among St. Petersburg celebrities.

I strongly disagree that there are few cheerful and optimistic people among Petersburgers. On the recent concert- such bright faces in the hall, I have not seen a single frowning one! Real residents northern capital just like that. Because if the city survived the blockade, the war and did not give up, then you need to take an example from the older generations. No sadness better life- only life!
And everything else is vanity of vanities.

Well, as for the first of April - he loved to play pranks on people in his youth, it’s very difficult to breed yourself. Although ... everything is ahead. I would like someone to play me, divorce me, but not for money (smiles). So far this has not happened, and in general I am a lucky person, although I was born on March 13th. Someone considers this number to be the "devil's dozen", but I heard that it is holy, because it is made up of 12 apostles and Jesus Christ.

AiF-Petersburg:- How to number 13 different attitude as well as to politics. You have chosen a neutral position, often emphasizing that you are apolitical, but how can you hide from problems? Some dwell on the negative so much that they become depressed.

You won't expect this from me! Yes, I learned the word "depression" not so long ago ( smiling). Of course, I can’t fence myself off from what is happening in the country and in the world, I see that a demon has simply taken possession of people. But - pull yourself together, respect each other. Attitude - for bright thoughts, for love and joy.

“The word“ depression ”was not so long ago learned.” Photo: www.russianlook.com

AiF-Petersburg:- Your words might seem too declarative and idealistic if I did not know that you yourself live by these principles. How is it possible?

You have to start with yourself, and everything will change. Something is wrong? Blame yourself. And we like to blame everything on near and far. And hope for a "good uncle." Unfortunately, modern man does not want to take responsibility, especially men. You look how many families live in a civil marriage. Because men are afraid to get married. And this is not in the Orthodox way, not in the Christian way, but not in any way! If you are a man - be real, and you don’t have to deal with nonsense.

I'm friends with the guys from our armed forces, sang on submarines, on ships, in units - these are real guys there. They love music, they have a serious education: to work with state-of-the-art technology, to lead such a unit as a nuclear submarine, with jelly in the head will not work.

Do not wait!

AiF-Petersburg:- The 70th anniversary of the Victory is approaching. For many years now you have been giving a concert for the townspeople on St. Isaac's Square. Will the crisis prevent the continuation of the tradition?

This is a holy holiday. That was and will be. But see what's going on?! Some rabid crazy people are starting to rewrite history. Do not wait! Because the memory is alive, and the people who were on the battlefields are alive. The concert will take place in any crisis and any weather, because when our fathers and grandfathers fought, they did not think about the weather, but only thought about victory. So we must not spare ourselves. And the day before, at the end of April, I will give a concert in Kremlin Palace. I perform with a symphony orchestra, a choir, a wonderful repertoire: the first part - songs of the war years, and the second - classics. After all, I'm an opera singer.

“You have to start with yourself, and everything will change.” Photo: www.russianlook.com

AiF-Petersburg:- And how do new parts appear in your repertoire? Are they offered by theater directors?

Yes, directors, opera impresarios call: “Would you like to sing such and such a part?” I ask how much time I have to learn, open the notes, sit down at the piano, start to see if my voice suits me, if I kill myself. If I understand that I can sing, I agree, if “not mine”, I won’t say “yes” for any millions. It is necessary to correctly assess your capabilities, to be honest with your voice and with yourself. Some of our singers, once in the West, strive to master everything and quickly lose their voice. Greed destroys.
Well, to keep yourself in shape, you need to exercise every day. In the morning I woke up and - to the instrument. Otherwise - worthless to you as a vocalist.

AiF-Petersburg:- You tour a lot abroad. Is interest in Russian music falling due to political upheavals?

No. I just sang Russian romances and chamber music in Vienna, Prague, Bratislava - great interest, as well as success.

AiF-Petersburg:- Glory is also a test, isn't it? Television is increasingly tempting young people to demonstrate talent and immediately be called a "star".

Yes, I met people who, having become successful, even changed their voice and gait! Also jelly in the head. Copper pipes you need to be able to pass, and if a person cannot, he stops in development. This is trouble. From such muck as "stardom" I have a good vaccination, I received it in the family, from my parents.

“I met people who, having become successful, even changed their voice and gait.” Photo: www.russianlook.com

AiF-Petersburg:- And what other people influenced your destiny?

On my life path meet wonderful personalities from the most different areas. around a lot good people. Our selfishness, pride, and sometimes busyness do not allow us to get to know others better, and this is scary. Look for the good, discard the bad and see what will become easy on your soul, look at others in a new way.

You have to take care of yourself, understand yourself. Are you not loved enough? What is there for? Love has to be earned. Who are you? Why are you here? Now, if you feel that someone is needed on this earth, you can respect yourself. Be more honest, and those who seemed bad will turn to you. There are no bad ones!

The era of consumerism

AiF-Petersburg:- I know that you are being asked to help in the construction of temples. There are more and more churches. What about faith?

People build temples according to the call of the heart. And people turn to faith. It doesn't matter what religion you are. All religions call for good, fulfill the commandments, and everything in this world will be safe.

Probably, it comes from above ... Yes, and my parents gave me a family. What could be more important to a man than good wife? I have one wife - Alyonka, and we will be together until the end. If there is order in the house, peace, they look after you, you are fed, watered, ironed, washed, if there is care for each other, then the voice sounds, and you want to serve the Motherland.

AiF-Petersburg:- You have achieved recognition and fame, could you dream about it in your village childhood?

When he was grazing cows in the village, he dreamed of having an accordion, and dad bought it. I dreamed of having an electric guitar - and it came true.

As a kid, I started to make my dreams come true, to earn money, because I played at weddings, christenings, funerals. The engineer received 100-140 rubles, I got much more. But this money did not spoil me, they do not spoil if there is gray matter in my head. And I realized a long time ago that a person does not need much. I swear! We have become consumers: such a nightmare when mountains of food and clothes are thrown away in one part of the world, and starving in another. It is a sin. But, I think, the era of consumerism will also pass. The main thing is to have peace.

The famous singer is sure that all people are good, and with pleasure brings art to the masses

People's Artist of Russia soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Vasily Gerello everyone knows - wherever he appears, wherever he stays, whether it's the Grand Hotel Europe or Arts Square, he hears from big and small: "And we know you! .."

“I love people,” says Vasily Gerello. They are all good, all are people. And among my friends there are no negative ones - there are only positive ones around ... "

Agree, there is no better candidate for a New Year's interview. Vasily Georgievich agreed especially for us to such a New Year's gesture: he sat down under a smart Christmas tree and sang "A Christmas tree was born in the forest."

We have a democracy in our family

- Vasily, are the soloists of the Mariinsky Theater invited to children's matinees?
“Unfortunately, I don't have time. I have to travel a lot, fly, move from place to place, sometimes it seems to me that I am constantly at some matinees, evening parties ... But it is a great happiness that I have such a profession and I can move around the globe. Of course, I really like to communicate with children - they come from such purity, positiveness, although all these gadgets “spoiled” them a little. But nothing - I think they have the best ahead of them.

Do you mean your son too?
- Oh, I already have him - huge and smart, he is 25, and he just flew to Dubai - to see how people live there.

Andryusha worked hard - he's a lawyer! And he needed an outlet. And I am glad that he went, we have complete democracy in our family.

- And your son is probably the best of the singing lawyers?
- From singing, playing, dancing. That is normal person, cheerful guy. But he sings for himself, for the soul - he has a voice and an ear, and, like all normal children, he studied the piano, but then he gave up this business, but I did not insist. And he did it right! Because in our profession you have to give 300% and be an obsessed person.

- Is your wife also one of the singing, playing, dancing?
- My wife - Alenka - wonderful person, my compatriot is from Chernivtsi, from Shevchenko street (smiles). And I always say - there are only two capitals in the world - Tel Aviv and Chernivtsi! She is - loving wife, a first-class hostess... Works as Vasya Gerello's wife. And work at People's Artist not so easy...

I believe in Santa Claus

- Because we have new year interview Can you tell us about the most memorable new year holiday?
- As long as I can remember myself - I had so many gorgeous New Years! Everyone was waiting for the end of the world, but, as they say, the Russian people do not believe in the end of the world - they are waiting for it all the time. But since we are normal people, "from a normal region" - Bukovina, we celebrate all the holidays. I remember from childhood the approach of the New Year - both tangerines and a Christmas tree. And now at my house the Christmas tree is lit with lights - it is artificial, because after the natural one there is cleaning for three days ...

But I'm waiting for this New Year, like some kind of kid, like a pioneer, like a schoolboy. Because there are always some illusions, fantasies, waiting for the fulfillment of a dream. And I don't want it to fade away.

- So, maybe you believe in Santa Claus too?
— I believe! I even know where he lives, and I saw how he flew to St. Petersburg by helicopter (smiles). Somehow for one new year concert I dressed up as Santa Claus and, when it was necessary to sing an encore, I went out in this form to the public. And no one understood why I ended up on stage - they didn’t recognize me in makeup.

Depression - from idleness

By the way, about singing. Just now our photojournalist filmed you on Arts Square in 20-degree frost - you were without a hat, without a scarf - with an open throat. Are you afraid for your "tool"?
- Not afraid. If there is a voice, then no frosts are terrible for him. After all, I was born in the village - and there was no time for special hardening. There, a person almost from the cradle already needs to work, plow - winter is not winter, forward, into the storm, to where the stars fly at night ... But in the village people do not have depression - they have no time. Depressed are those who have nothing to do. Because a person who has nothing to do, some bad, stupid thoughts will swell from somewhere below. And it is necessary that good bright thoughts arise from above. So the village gives health, as well as the church, religion, parents. For me, my parents are holy people. Out of great respect, I always call them "you".

— Really not spanked even once?
“I never knew a belt in my life, and neither did my sister. No one has ever spoken in raised tones in our country - only kindness-kindness-kindness ... I pray for my parents - good health to them! I even took tickets for the 3rd - I want to go to them for Christmas, because this is the most main holiday! It is very important for me to communicate with them - to see them, to take them by the hand, and I call them on the phone every day. To be honest, I dislike people who were born somewhere in the village, but are embarrassed by this, embarrassed by their culture, language, and parents. On the contrary, you should be proud and thank the sky for the fact that you were born there. It is not by chance that we say: "God forbid, from Ivan - pan."

- You always emphasize that you sing "live" - ​​not to the soundtrack ...
- You will never wait for this nightmare! Is it possible to sing "under the plywood" in the opera? You have to spit in your soul and in your face! You can’t do this - because a person gets used to singing to “plywood”, then he suffers and is afraid to sing “live” and earns himself an inferiority complex ...

- Well, if you are not in the voice - then what?
- God save us! God always helps me - a second wind turns on. I will stand in front of the icon, pray - and everything always works out ... After all, we have such a thing as technology - those who are not trained, they mess up. And those who have a school, a singing foundation - they sing. I am grateful to my teachers - professors of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, my teacher in Chernivtsi. God and my mother gave me a voice, and with the teachers I polished it. And I'm still studying - I'm studying every day, despite the fact that I have titles - I sing like in the first grade. And I advise everyone to go to the machine - to practice.

And I also advise you - to believe in your profession, in your family - you need to love our people and the audience to which you give yourself. And rejoice, because being sad is a great sin.

If invited - you must sing

- Vasily, you perform in different places and in front of different people- billionaires and workers ...
- ... in front of policemen and scouts ...

- Have you ever performed before the first persons of our country?
- Of course! I sang with pleasure not only in front of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, but also in front of Bill Clinton in America - then I sang the classical repertoire, and Clinton played the saxophone. Ex-president of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev also came to this concert, in the White House, there were media people, American senators ... I am a simple artist and I think that if you can do business, do it for everyone, don’t filter: I won't do this.

You are a cheerful and positive person. And if you are offered to sing the part of the Snow Maiden, will you agree?
— No, I male person I'm from a normal trade union.

— I would like you to congratulate our readers on the New Year. In what language will you congratulate?
- In Ukrainian. “From the bottom of my heart I congratulate you on New Rock and the Rizdvom of Christ! May God grant you happiness, health, so that your families are warm, the appearance of children is radio, so that they don’t get sick, so that we get along ... As they say, let buckwheat be, abi is not a super girl! Zee holy!”