In Memory of Feodor Chaliapin

“In Memory of Feodor Chaliapin” 150 years since the birth of the great Russian bass 1873 – 2023

The repertoire will feature Chaliapin’s most favorite song cycles and arias:

“Don Quichotte a Dulcinee” by Maurice Ravel

“Chansons de Don Quichotte” by Jacques Ibert

Aria Mefistofele by Arrigo Boito

La Calunnia from Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini

Andrea Silvestrelli is one of the most sought-after ‘bassi profondi’ on the international opera scene. Garnering critical acclaim for his debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Rigoletto, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, “There were wild cheers for Andrea Silvestrelli …who brought a terrifying, sepulchral,tone to the assassin Sparafucile.” The Chicago Sun concurred, “Andrea Silvestrelli wielded a big, black, menacing bass in his debut as the assassin Sparafucile.”

His featured performances include : Hagen in Götterdämmerung in a return to the Taichung National Theater in Taiwan, Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo with the Dallas Opera and Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Opera San Antonio; he was Fafner in Siegfried in Taiwan, and Geronte in Manon Lescaut and Pistola in Falstaff with the Dallas Opera. In the 2017-2018 season, Mr. Silvestrelli was heard as Hunding in Die Walküre in Taiwan, returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Nourabad in Les pêcheurs de perles and Timur in Turandot, and sang the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo with Washington National Opera. In spring 2018, he performed in San Francisco Opera’s Ring Cycle as Fasolt in Das Rheingold and Hagen in Götterdämmerung.

Mr. Silvestrelli’s performances in the 2016-2017 season included Fafner in Das Rheingold with National Taichung Theater, Oroveso in Norma with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hagen in Götterdämmerung with Houston Grand Opera, and the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and Sparafucile in Rigoletto, both with San Francisco Opera. With SFO in 2015-2016, he sang the role of Wurm in Luisa Miller, The Night Watchman in Die Meistersinger von Nürnburg, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo. He also returned to Erl, Austria for performances of the Ring Cycle at the Tiroler Festspiele.

Last season, 2021-2022 Mr. Silvestrelli performed Filippo Secondo in Don Carlo, and Banco in Macbeth with Maryland Lyric Opera; Il PiccoloMarat in Teatro Goldoni, Livorno, Italy.

The current season, 2023-2024 opens with collaboration with Opera Festival Chicago — Mr. Silvestrelli will be singing Attila and also 4th Temptation in Pizzetti’s Assassinio nella Cattedrale, followed by Hagen in Gottedammerung with Opera Australia, Brisbane.

Irina Feoktistova (pianist), graduated from St. Petersburg Conservatoire, Russia. A classically trained pianist, she has toured Russia, Europe, and the United States as a soloist, duo pianist, accompanist, her collaborations include the world’s foremost performer of Baroque trumpet, Crispian Steele-Perkins, and most recently internationally acclaimed Italian singer Andrea Silvestrelli. As a duo pianist, she won third prize at the First International Competition of Contemporary Music Interpretation in Weimar, Germany (1996) and was chosen to perform at Purcell Room in London for the Park Lane Group Young Artists Concert Series. As a piano soloist, she won the Kawai CD Recording Competition in 2004.

Ms. Feoktistova relocated to the United States in 1998, and since then she has performed extensively in the Chicagoland area. She has been involved in numerous musical theater productions as an accompanist and music director. She is also active in various projects performing Russian and American contemporary music. She was affiliated with CUBE, VOX 3 and MAVerick Ensembles in Chicago and the Union of Composers in St. Petersburg, where she performed a program of American contemporary music at the international festival St. Petersburg Musical Spring in May of 2005. She was the Principal Keyboardist with Millennium Chamber Players (Chicago based ensemble). Irina made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist and an accompanist with Russian singer Vladimir Galouzine for The Russia Day concert on June 12th, 2008.

Mrs. Feoktistova was an assistant conductor for the Lyric Opera production of Musorgsky “Boris Godunov” in 2011-2012 season. 2015/16 Performed as a piano soloist Schostakovich Piano Concerto N2 and Beethoven Triple Concerto with Lake Veiw Orchestra 2017/18 season Worked at the CSO on the production of Prokofiev’s “Ivan the Terrible” as a Russian coach with Gerard Depardieu and Chicago Children Choir.

In 2018/19 season she worked on the production of Iolanta by Tchaykovsky at the Chicago Opera Theater. In 2019/20 season took part in COT production of Rahmaninov’s Aleko and
Lyric Opera production of Tchaykovsky’s Queen of Spades. 2018 till present She is affiliated with the Appolo Chorus of Chicago and Chicago Children Choir.
She is on faculty of Northwestern University and Ryan Center of Lyric Opera of Chicago. In Summer 2020 she started new project “Colors in Music” with visual artist
Evgenia Pirshina. In 2021 the duo won the 2nd prise for the presentation and live performance of Scriabin’s Poem “Vers La Flamme” with color animations for the International Performing Arts Competition “Stars of the Albion.Grand Prix 2021” (London, UK). In Summer 2022 she joined as a rehearsal accompanist and vocal coach new Opera Festival of Chicaco, music director Emanuele Andrizzi.

Her recordings include:
“Chopin the Enchanter” “Poems and Fairy Tales”( Medtner and Scriabin), Samuel Barber’s Hermit Songs (with Russian singer Elena Antonenko), Russian and American contemporary music on the CD entitled Musical Bridge√Chicago√St.Petersburg.