Biographies

MICHELLE BRISCOE holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Russian Language and Literature from Knox College in Galesburg , Illinois . She began teaching Russian in elementary schools in 1996 and has featured children’s performances at community and school events where she is the conductor of the Dallas Children’s Russian Choir “Radost” (Joy).  She is currently a Broadcast Specialist for the Dallas Independent School District – Dallas Schools Television where she enthusiastically teaches Russian at two elementary schools and facilitates the district’s Spanish distance learning program.  A life-long dream was fulfilled when her passion for Russian culture, history and literature led her on a visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg !  She was awarded the “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” Award from the Russian American Center for her support of Russian language and culture.

DALLAS CHILDREN’S RUSSIAN CHOIR “RADOST (JOY).  Integration of music and dance creates motivation and passion for language acquisition in the classroom.  Performing at the Russian Festival and similar events connects the classroom experience with Russian culture and diverse communities.  Russian has been taught in the Dallas Independent School District for over 15 years.  In the fall of 1996, with funds provided by the U. S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language Assistance Program Grant and because of the dedication of Tatiana Zimakova, Michelle Briscoe and Vicky Mitcham Probeck, the program spread to the elementary grades.  The emphasis is not so much on a Russian choir but of children enjoying the art of Russian music and dance!

SIMAN-TOV means a “good sign,” a sign of happiness and joy.  This is how the music of  “Siman-Tov” is described; it lifts up the spirit and fills hearts with joy.  The group features four virtuoso performers that combine their unique backgrounds and talent to create new, original sounds. Siman-Tov performs music and songs from around the world.  George Denisov (Goga), the vocalist of the group, sings in more than ten languages, including Russian, English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portugues, and Turkish.

 LEV KARDONSKY, Artistic Director of Siman-Tov, Violinist. He graduated from Lithuanian State Conservatory with a Master’s Degree in violin. He began his career by appearing with The City of Riga State Theater of Musical Comedy, The Latvian National Opera, and The Riga Ballet Theater.  Since his arrival to the US , he performed as a member of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Fort Worth Opera and also appeared in concert and performed in some of the finest clubs around the world. He was praised by audiences worldwide and received numerous awards for his accomplishments, including the Bicentennial award. In 1999, he formed a musical group Siman-Tov.

GINA BROWNING has appeared as a recitalist around the world.  She has performed leading opera roles with Opera Theatre of St. Louis , Florida Grand Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, Shreveport Opera, Vlamse Kameroper ( Belgium ), Ft. Lauderdale Opera and London ’s Camden Festival.  She has been a frequent soloist with the Santa Fe Symphony, the Miami Symphony and the Austrian Radio Orchestra.  Recitals include Vienna , Graz , Paris , London , Hamburg , Rome , Brescia , Kyoto , New York , Dallas , Santa Fe and San Francisco .  She was a guest soloist on a PBS series about opera.

JOE ILLICK, Music Director of Fort Worth Opera since 2002, has served in a similar capacity for the Greater Miami Opera, the Lake George Opera Festival, Shreveport Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and the Teatro Lirico d’Europa.  His symphonic works have been performed in New York , Washington and Santa Fe , and his monodrama EMMA was performed on public television. His ULYSSES was premiered this summer in Italy . He is also an active chamber music pianist in the United States and Europe .  Other conducting includes Skylight Opera, Vienna Chamber Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Symphony, Miami Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica and Mid-Columbia Symphony

ELENA TSVETKOVA is a graduate of the Mussorgsky Musical College and the State Conservatory in  St. Petersburg , Russia .  She served as  the piano professor and an accompanist for all strings in the Petrozavodsk Branch of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, faculty member at the  summer festivals in Finland, and a piano teacher at several St. Petersburg music schools. She performed as an accompanist for annual solo and chamber music recitals in the most famous concert halls of Saint Petersburg , including the Grand Philharmonic Hall, Small Philharmonic Hall, Hermitage Museum Hall and Cappella Hall. She recorded many compositions with soloists for radio and television in Russia . A resident of the Dallas / Fort Worth area since 2001, Elena finds herself in demand as a teacher, accompanist, and soloist. She served as the faculty of the Midwestern Music Camp at the University of Kansas , and the Heifetz International Music Institute. She has also established a private studio, and her students won top prizes in several piano competitions and festivals in DFW area.

SERGEI KUZNETSOV is currently studying as a doctoral student at the Southern Methodist University. In 2003, he graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory of the class of Professor Mikail Voskresensky and obtained a diploma with High Distinction. He has performed extensively throughout the world, both as soloist and chamber musician. He received many awards and scholarships,  including the prestigious Lili Kraus Scholarship at TCU, first prize at the MTNA Young Artists Competition (the Texas Division), third Prize at the China International Piano Competition ( Beijing , 2004); first grand prize at the Entergy Young Texas Artists competition ( Houston , Conroe , 2005)

ROBERT CARNEY is currently studying at the University of North Texas as a doctoral student of Pamela Mia Paul.  Robert has performed in Colorado , Louisiana , Missouri , North Carolina , and Texas and been soloist with the Louisiana State University and Missouri State University orchestras.  Numerous awards are to his credit, including first place Janice K. Hodges Contemporary Piano Competition, first place in the Missouri Music Teacher’s Association State Competition, and special recognition as a Presser Scholar.  His work as a collaborative pianist has taken him throughout the Midwest , South, and East Coast.  A dedicated music educator, Robert is presently Coordinator of Instruction at a large music school in the Dallas area.

CARLOS BALAM VAZQUEZ is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music at the University of North Texas under the direction of Maestro Gustavo Romero.  In 2003, he obtained the Bachelor of Music degree magna cum laude in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of North Texas College of Music, where he studied with Berthe Odnoposoff. He has also taken lessons from noted professors like Vladimir Viardo, Adam Wodnicki and Harold Martina.

INNA STANEVA is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music at the University of North Texas under the direction of Professor Dennis Fisher. She graduated from Saratov Conservatory, named after Leonid Sobinov in 2005. She also worked as a piccolo flutist in Volga-Band, the professional Band of the Saratov Philharmonic Society. Inna  participated in several national and regional flute competitions, where she took the first and second places.

EKATERINA CHERNAYA is currently doing DMA in Piano Performance at the University of North Texas . She graduated from Saratov State Conservatory in 2001. In Saratov she studied with the director of the Conservatory, Honored Artist of Russia, Anatoli Alexandrovich Skripay

DAVID GRIGGS has had a keen interest in international relations and has helped develop international programs in the Dallas area for the past several years.  As the lay coordinator of Highland Park United Methodist Church 's Russia Initiative, he helped initiate a relationship in 1993 between the church and humanitarian organizations in Saratov , Russia . This partnership led to more than a decade of cooperation and exchange of mission delegations, including cultural representatives, between Dallas and Saratov .  In 2004, the two cities became official "sister cities" by a unanimous vote of the Dallas City Council.  David serves as the chair of the Dallas-Saratov Sister City Committee and has helped plan and coordinate numerous delegations.  Professionally, David works as an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission in the Southwest Region. He currently serves or has recently served on the boards of several local organizations including the Russian American Center , DFW International Community Alliance, the Dallas Democratic Forum and the United Nations Association.  David received a B.S. in Political Science and a law degree from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University.

SOPHIA GRINBLAT is the editor of the Russian newspaper Our Texas. She came to Houston in 1990 and since then was deeply involved in the life of the local Russian speaking community.
Working with the newspaper she realized that there are so many talents in the former Soviet Union,  which  could be discovered by an American audience. Having a constant business relation with the Houston Museum of Fine Arts,  Houston Symphony,  Dallas Symphony,  Van Cliburn Foundation,  Alrlington Ballet,  Kimbell Art Museum,  Society of the Performing Arts and many other centers of art and culture in Texas,  she tries to call an interest to the rich Russian culture among the American audience by organizing Russian concerts,  shows,  exhibitions,  festivals,  etc.

SVETLANA G. KUZNETSOVA, Honored Artist of Russia
In 1992 Svetlana Kuznetsova graduated from Saratov State Conservatory. From 1991 to 1998 she was a soloist in Saratov Academic Opera and Ballet House, performing the leading soprano parts (La Traviata, Rigoletto (Verdi), The Barber of Seville (Rossini), Manone (Massne), Figaro’s Wedding (Mozart), The Fairytale of Saltan Tsar (Rimsky-Korsakov). Since 1994 Svetlana Kuznetsova has been touring both in Russia and abroad. She performed recitals within the framework of international programs and participated in large symphonic projects, such as St. Matthew Passion, Bach’s Cantatas, Requiem by Mozart, Maler’s Symphonies and several others. Svetlana Kuznetsova participated in many Russian and international festivals among which are the Sobinov Music Festival, Kemper international music festival (France, 1996), Golden Autumn in Kremlin international music festival (2000), In Ensemble with Organ (organ music festival, Saratov, 2001), Moscow Easter Festival (Moscow, 1999), etc. From 1998 to 1999 Svetlana Kuznetsova was employed by Orchestre Philarmonique Europeen Association, France. Currently she is working with the Saratov Regional Philharmonic Society called after Alfred Schnitke. Since 2003 Svetlana Kuznetsova has been a professor of Saratov State Conservatory.

Newspaper reviews:

"...And at this moment the wonderful sound of Svetlana Kuznetsov'a's soprano is coming. Svetlana Kuznetsova describes "Life in the Heaven" with beautiful simlicity. Due to her artistic elegance as a singer she turns the concert hall into paradise as Maler wanted it." "...The audience was in the perfect bliss when Svetlana Kuznetsva sang a romance from the final part. Tender colours of her voice timbre range took music lovers to "gree paradise of teennagers' love." The conductor, musicians and Russian Ophelia with pale skin succeeded in reaching ideal harmony." "Quest France"(France, 1996)

"Her pure, brilliant voice was facinating. The audience subjected to her charms applauded and shouted "Bravo." Storm of applause repeated when she started singing "Vienna Forest's Tales" by Shtrauss. Svetlana Kuznetsova proved her significient singing level by her charming voice and masterly sustaining high notes." "Gazzetta del Sud" (Italy, 1997) ,

 
ART-ALLE CIRCUS
Art-Alle was founded in 1994 by Sergey Soloviev, the Honored Artist of Russia, and Liudmila Soloviev. In 1997 the circus was awarded the status of National Circus. Art-Alle includes over 50 performers – children and young people aged 5 to 23. Also, in 2003 the circus has founded the Circus Art School . The circus is the prize-winner of the following competitions:

• 23^rd, 29^th, 30^th Annual World Festivals in Monaco ( Monte-Carlo , Monaco )
• European Festival of Circus Art ( Norrkcheping , Sweden )
• 1^st and 2^nd Annual Russian Circus Contest ( Anapa , Russia )
• The First Russian Delphian Championship ( Saratov , Russia )
• Star Rain (Youth Contest, Saratov , Russia ).

Art-Alle Circus took part in the festivals in Russia, as well as in the USA (San-Francisco, Atlanta), United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu-Dabi), Kuwait (El-Kuwait), Turkey (Ankara), Oman (Muscat), Israel (Tel-Aviv), Austria (Vienna, Innsbruck), Germany (West-Baden, Elspe), Taiwan, Sweden (Norrkcheping), Monaco (Monte-Carlo), and several others. The program requires 15 to 25 artists. The circus can perform on different stages – large concert halls, sport arenas, smaller stages, catwalks, etc. The program includes clownery, jugglery, tightrope walking, acrobatics, gymnastics and other circus genres. E-mail: artalle@mail.ru www.artalle.boom.ru

LEL RUSSIAN FOLK MUSIC ENSEMBLE
The Lel Russian folk music ensemble was established in 1992. Since then it has won a significant number of contests and festivals. In November 1992 its musicians were granted a diploma of the All-Russian contest, in 1994 they were announced the prize-winners of ‘Music and Youth’ International Festival in Denmark , in 1995 were awarded a medal in Samour , France . In March, 2001 the group was given the Laureate award at the 4^th Annual All-Russia Contest called after V.Andreev in Tver. It performed in many Russian cities, in Denmark (1994), France (1995), the USA (1996), Italy (2004), Kazakhstan (2003). Its repertoire includes classic compositions of different historical periods, original pieces and folk music. Highly evaluated were the ensemble’s programs, dedicated to A.Vivaldi – “The Four Seasons”, “From Vivaldi to nowadays”, “Golden Lights”, “New-Year Mood”, “About Love Again”, “Russian Romance Songs Night”, and others.

Newspaper reviews:

"The overcrowded concert hall reached the highest degree of excitement during the performance of the famous Russian Lel ensemble which performed so magnificently that people could hardly believe their ears. There was something to look at: all those festive outfits, sparkling in the darkness of Danish night…"
Inga Hedesko, “Colding” ( Denmark , 1994)