The 11th Nadezhda Obukhova Open Russian Young Vocalists Competition Festival was held in Lipetsk between March 27 and 31, 2024. The soloists of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre Valentin Kolesnikov and Sevastian Martyniuk took part in it.

The programme of the Lipetsk competition for young vocalists included arias from operas, romance songs by Russian and foreign composers, and folk songs: those genres, in which People's Artist of the USSR Nadezhda Andreevna Obukhova shone.

This year, the competition organizers accepted an unprecedented number of applications - 182 singers from music theatres of the Russian regions. 34 contestants made it to the second round that was held in-person, and 14 vocalists reached the final third round. Among them was Krasnoyarsk tenor Valentin Kolesnikov who performed Cavatina of Vladimir Igorevich from Alexander Borodin’s opera Prince Igor in the finale. Valentin won the competition diploma.

In the round 2, Sevastian Martyniuk sang Georgy Sviridov’s romance song to the poem I Am Nailed to a Tavern Counter by Alexander Blok. For his performance, he was given the Special Prize of the competition and a diploma “For the Best Performance of a Romance Song by a Russian Composer.”

The diplomas bear the signature of the world opera star Albina Shagimuratova - she chaired the competition jury. “Today we are discovering new names on the Lipetsk stage; in a few years, they may become really great artists,” noted Shagimuratova.

Both singers are now rehearsing their parts in Jules Massenet's opera Manon, which is to premiere in Krasnoyarsk in April: Valentin will perform the part of Chevalier des Grieux, and Sevastian will sing Lescaut, the cousin of the leading character. Valentin Kolesnikov will also sing Ivan Lykov in The Tsar’s Bride on April 5. On April 25, he’ll take part in the Verdi Gala, the final concert of the festival Stars Parade at the Opera. Slovtsov; on May 5 – in Boris Godunov (the part of a holy fool); on May 8 – in Eugene Onegin (the part of Lensky).