Since hundreds of years human voice, accompanied by instruments or as a vocal polyphony, was in a center of interests by almost all composers. A bunch of European composers starting from middle of 20th century until nowadays looked 10 centuries back into the past to the Gregorian chant and brought the unaccompanied monophonic song for the first time in the music history to the stage of concert hall. In one hour Helena Sorokina gives an insight in the diversity of dealing with the voice alone by composers Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179), Giacinto Scelsi (1905 – 1988), Peteris Plakidis (1947 – 2017), Sophia Gubaidulina (*1931), Elisabeth Harnik (*1970) and Feliz Anne Reyes Macahis  (*1986).


Program:

Sofia Gubaidulina - „Aus den Visionen von Hildegard von Bingen“ („From Visions of Hildegard von Bingen“, 1994)

Hildegard von Bingen - „O rubor sanguinis“ (Gregorian chant, 12. Century)

Elisabeth Harnik - cycle „Solo for Gertrude“ (G. Stein, 2011)

I Orange In

II A Portrait

III White Object

IV Veal

V Recognition

VI A Very Valentine


Giacinto Scelsi - “Three Latin Prayers” (1972)

I Ave Maria

II Pater Noster

III Alleluja


Pēteris Plakidis - “Divas etīdes balsij bez pavadījuma un viens pavadījums bez dziedājuma” („Two etudes for a voice without the accompaniment and one accompaniment without a singing“, 1976)

I Ko tu teici, zvaigzne... (What did you tell, star...“, K. Skujenieks)

II Cik smaga saule... („How heavy the sun...“, N. Kalna)


Feliz Anne Reyes Macahis - “d:ua:te studies” (2019)


Latvian mezzo-soprano Helēna Sorokina begun her musical education with the violin and piano already at the age of 5. She later went on to study choral conducting in her hometown Riga. Helena was studying classical vocal performance and vocal pedagogy at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria.

Notable highlights include solo appearances in some of the biggest concert halls of Germany, Austria, Italy and Latvia (e.g., “Die Glocke” Bremen, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Muffathalle Munich, Stefaniensaal Graz) performing works like Messiah by Handel, Christmas oratorio by J.S. Bach, Petite messe solenelle by Rossini and Stabat Mater by Haydn. As a soloist, Helena has worked with Hamburger Symphoniker, Thüringen Philharmonie, Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester, Georgisches Kammer– orchester Ingolstadt and sung under the baton of Sir Roger Norrington, Joshua Rifkin, Beat Furrer, Paolo Paroni, Joshard Daus, Erwin Ortner, Johannes Prinz etc.

Helena has sung in operatic productions under Stadttheater Leoben, Theater im Palais Graz, MUMUTH Graz and Oper in der Krypta in Vienna. Her roles include Paulina (Pique Dame), Orlofsky (Fledermaus), Mercedes (Carmen), Anita (West Side Story), Suzuki (Madame Butterfly), Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana) amongst others. As a Lied and Chanson singer, Helena had solo recitals in festivals such as Riga Early Music and Dance Festival 2015 (Riga, Latvia), Himmelrausch 2016 (Linz, Austria) and 2nd Operetta Festival 2017 (Ikskile, Latvia). She also specializes in German and French  hansons, especially that of Zarah Leander, Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich, which she performs with pianist Karlheinz Donauer as well as various jazz musicians and bands.

Her gift of perfect pitch exposes her to contemporary music performance, which has become one of her biggest passions. Notable highlights include solo performances at the Steirischer Herbst Festival in Graz, Austria: Asteroid 62, opera by Kourliandski (2013) and Paradise by Hiendl (2016). Since August 2017, Helena is a resident member of Cantando Admont and has performed in different festivals namely, Klangspuren Schwaz 2017 (composer in residence – Sofia Gubaidulina), Salzburger Festspiele 2018 (Zeit mit Furrer), Imago Ljubljana 2018, and in countries such as Austria, Italy, Singapore and Slovenia. In 2018, together with Cantando Admont, Helena gave a masterclass in the NUS Yale College, Singapore and performed at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina 2019.

Reach Helena Sorokina under:
+43 69918046031
heleena.sorokina@gmail.com
https://www.onepointfm.com/de/helenasorokina
https://soundcloud.com/hel-na-sorokina
https://www.youtube.com/user/heleenasorokina/
https://cantando-admont.weebly.com