An Evening of Classical Music: Zarina Shimanskaya (piano) and Sergey Skorokhodov (tenor)

The programme features masterpieces of world classical music performed by two brilliant musicians from St. Petersburg. Pianist Zarina Shimanskaya, laureate of international competitions, performs in the world’s finest venues, including London’s Wigmore Hall, Salzburg’s Mozarteum, Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. Zarina Shimanskaya collaborates with outstanding conductors, including Valery Gergiev, Teodor Currentzis, and Yuri Bashmet.

Her stage partner is Sergey Skorokhodov, a leading soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre and Honoured Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan; he has performed at the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Paris National Opera, and the Bavarian State Opera, and his repertoire includes over 50 opera roles.

Together, they will create an atmosphere of a refined musical evening, where virtuoso piano performance and an expressive tenor will deliver an unforgettable experience.

Zarina Shimanskaya (piano):

Born in St. Petersburg, Zarina Shimanskaya graduated from the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory (class of Nina Seryogina), completed postgraduate studies at the Conservatory (class of Sergei Uryvaev), and earned a Master’s degree from the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre (class of Evgeny Korolyov). A laureate of international competitions, she tours extensively throughout Russia, Europe, and Asia as a soloist and with symphony orchestras.

As a chamber musician, she regularly performs with artists including Kristóf Baráti, István Várdai, Nadja Michael, Albina Shagimuratova, Wilfried Strehle, Marc Bouchkov, Daniel Lozakovich, Vasily Stepanov, Dennis Gasanov, Pavel Romanovsky, the Berlinka Quartet, and many others. As a soloist, she has collaborated with conductors Valery Gergiev, Alexander Sladkovsky, Teodor Currentzis, Yuri Bashmet, Christian Knapp, Alexander Rahbari, Ivan Rudin, Valentin Uryupin, Ramil Martynov, Dmitry Sinkovsky, Mikhail Simonyan, Sergei Oselkov, Fyodor Lednev, Karen Durgaryan, Alexey Nyaga, Ivan Stolbov, Gurgen Petrosyan, Yuri Demidovich, Yuri Medianik, Alexey Morgunov, and others.

She has performed at Wigmore Hall in London, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonia, Novaya Opera in Moscow, Gasteig in Munich, and the Radialsystem in Berlin, as well as at the International Diaghilev Festival in Perm, the Piano Festival at the Brucknerhaus in Linz (Austria), the Verbier Music Festival (Switzerland), the “Stars of the White Nights” Festival (St. Petersburg), and the “Faces of Modern Pianism” Festival (St. Petersburg).

Notable events of the 2025–2026 season include a solo recital at the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall (April 2026), highly acclaimed solo tours in Italy, the performance of Valery Voronov’s concerto dedicated to her with Maestro Christian Knapp and the Mariinsky Orchestra, Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto with Alexander Sladkovsky conducting at the Yerevan Opera Theatre, and Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Bashkortostan in Ufa under the baton of Dmitry Kryukov.

Sergey Skorokhodov (tenor):

He is called “one of the crown jewels of the Mariinsky Theatre”. A strong, pure voice with a captivating upper register, impeccable technique and exquisite vocal mastery make Sergey Skorokhodov a highlight of any performance. His premieres are eagerly anticipated by connoisseurs: each role becomes a major theatrical event.

A native of St Petersburg, he began his musical journey at the age of six at the Glinka Choral College, and later continued his studies at the St Petersburg Conservatory. While still a student, he was honoured to join the Mariinsky Theatre Academy of Young Opera Singers, and his debut on the main stage in 1999 under the baton of Maestro Gergiev marked the beginning of a brilliant career. Since 2007, Sergey has been a leading soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre.

His voice resonates on the world’s finest opera stages – from the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala to the Paris National Opera and the Bavarian State Opera. Collaborations with the greatest conductors of our time – Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti – and performances with outstanding singers, including Anna Netrebko, confirm his status as one of the most sought‑after tenors in the world. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Honoured Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan.