ILJA KAZAKOV*

* Scholarship holder of the Czerwenka Private Foundation

Ilia Kazakov, was born in 1992 in Kazan. He graduated from Kazan Music School with a specialty in choir  conducting (class D.A. Venediktova). In 2012 he entered the Kazan  State Conservatoire with the specialty of choir conducting (class A.I.  Zapparova). In 2016 he performed military service as part of the  Alexandrov Academic Song and Dance Ensemble. In 2017 he  performed as part of the State Academic Choir Chapel named after  Jurlov under the management of the People 's Artist of the Russian  Federation G.A. Dmitry. In the same year he entered the State  Musical Pedagogical Institute named after Ippolitov-Ivanov with the  specialty of choir conducting (class O.S. Karaseva). In parallel he  studied vocals with M.V. Rodchikova and A.P. Cilinko. In 2019 he  became the winner of the VII International Competition of Opera  Artists Galina Višniewski and the winner of a special prize (a year of  study at the Opera Singing Center). Since September 2019 he has  been studying at the Opera Singing Center (class of People 's Artist of  the Russian Federation A.A. Loshak). In October 2019 he became a  member of the master class in Italy, as part of the international Young  opera project, and performed at the Olympico Theatre of Vicenza,  project manager Christian Ricci . He participated in the casting of the  television project »Big Opera«, performed Varlaam 's song from the  opera »Boris Godunov« and an excerpt from Philip 's aria in the opera »Don Carlos«, after which he was invited to the theatre of  the Helicon Opera.