Elena Shatokhina, mezzo-soprano
Elena Shatokhina was born in Engels (Russia) and studied under supervision of Professor Liliya Belova at Saratov State Conservatoire. During her studies she participated in several student productions, such as: Snow Maiden (Lel), La Traviata (Flora), Eugene Onegin (Olga), Iolanta (Laura) and The Tsar’s Bride (Lyubasha). Graduating from the conservatory she continued her studies in the post-graduate school and was invited as a soloist to the Saratov State Philharmonic, where she held more than 100 concerts in many Russian cities the very first year.
Concurrently with stage and concert activities Elena started her teaching practicum – at first in an art school, then she had successfully prepared the graduates for enrolment to a conservatory. After the completion of her doctorate degree, she was hired as a teacher of Vocal-Conductorial faculty of Saratov State Conservatoire.
In 2002 Elena debuted at Saratov Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre performing role of The Princess in the opera Rusalka by Dargomyzhsky. During her work time in Saratov Elena sang Marfa in Khovanshchina by Mussorgsky, Polina in The Queen of Spades and Olga in Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Varya in The Story of a Real Man by Prokofiev, Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen, Mirabella in The Gypsy Baron by Strauss and others.
In 2003 she was awarded with diploma at the International Meriam Helin Competition in Helsinki (Finland). Then in 2006 Elena moved to St. Petersburg, where she gained priceless experience as an intern in classes of professor Irina Bogacheva and professor Kira Izotova.
In 2007–2009 Elena Shatokhina performed in The Tsar’s Bride and at the Opera and Ballet Theater of Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, in festivals such as Petersburg’s Music Spring (St. Petersburg), Viva Mozart (Saratov), where she performed the Requiem under the direction of Leo Krämer (Germany).
In 2008 she won the 2nd award in the International competition “Amber Nightingale” named after Zara Dolukhanova and received an invitation to participate in the Festival of Russian Art in Cannes (France), and the Glinka Festival (Smolensk), together with the philharmonic orchestras of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (Russia).
In 2010 Elena Shatokhina attended Elena Obraztsova’s master-class, where her voice was praised by Obraztsova herself: “A big bright beautiful voice created to sing Santuzza and Carmen”.
In 2011 she cooperated with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, where she performed Die Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen by Mahler with an orchestra under the direction of Jeffrey Mayer (USA) within the festival “Petersburg’s Music Spring”.
In 2013 Elena debuted on the stage of the State Opera in Banská Bystrica singing party of Olga in Eugene Onegin and was called “The Discovery of the Slovak Theatre” by critics. In 2014 she participated in the festival “Musical Days in Banská Bystrica” and the festival “Opera 2015” in Prague. She gives concerts both in Slovakia and Russia and continues her pedagogical practice.
From 2016 Elena is regularly participating in opera festival “Starry June in Banská Bystrica”, Slovakia.
In 2018 she was awarded with a special Diploma for a magnificent performance and a victory in a Russia-wide festival-contest “Renaissance” (Moscow-Khabarovsk, Russia).
In 2022 Elena won the 2-nd prize in Elizabeth Házy’s VII international Competition (Nové Zamky, Slovakia).
Contests
2004 The Mirjam Helin V International singing Competition (Helsinki) – Honor Diploma
2008 VIII International Competition named after Zara Dolukhanova (Kaliningrad, Russia) – II Prize and Special Prize of Ministry of Culture of Kalinigrad’s Region
2010 I Internetional Singers Competition “Grand-Prix Saint-Petersburg” (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) – Honor Diploma and Special Prize of Sergey Slonimsky
2018 Special Prize of Jury of the Nationwide Festival-Competition of Arts “Renaissance” (Russia)
2022 Elizabeth Házy’s VII international Competition (Nové Zamky, Slovakia) – II Prize.
Festivals
2003 – 2005 Sobinov’s festivals, Saratov, Russia
2007 The festival «Vivat, Mozart!», Saratov, Russia
2008 51-st Russian national festival named after Glinka, Smolensk, Russia
2008 Russian art festival, Cannes, France
2010 46-th International festival «Petersburg’s Music Spring», Saint-Petersburg, Russia
2011 47-th International festival «Petersburg’s Music Spring», Saint-Petersburg, Russia
2013 20-th festival «Music days in Banská Bystrica», Slovakia
2015 12-th festival «Opera 2015», Praha, Czech Republic
2016 The festival of chamber music «The beauty is life», Saratov, Russia
2016 – 2018 “Starry June in Banská Bystrica”, Slovakia