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A Person of Great Character

Interview with Mikhail Leontyev

Mikhail Leontyev, 27, graduated from Glinka State Academic Capella of St. Petersburg in 2000. He is the conductor of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the State Philharmonic Society of the Caucasus Mineral Waters region. He was the winner of the Min-On Concert Association's 15th Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting 2009. Here, he talks in an e-mail interview about his relationship with his mentor, the renowned Russian conductor Vladislav Chernushenko, who is credited with single-handedly reviving Russia's famed church music repertoire and bringing it to world attention.

photo Mikhail Leontyev   [Min-On]

SGI Quarterly: How did you first encounter Professor Chernushenko, and what were your first impressions?

Mikhail Leontyev: I was a member of the St. Petersburg Boys' Choir, and at that time Professor Chernushenko often conducted our choir. Initially, I saw him as an extremely strict conductor who knew everything about vocal music, and not as someone to whom I could relate personally. Even as children, we all knew he was a grand figure in the St. Petersburg world of music. He had held various positions, as artistic director of the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, rector of the Leningrad Conservatory and head of its operatic and symphony conducting department, and he had been awarded the title of People's Artist of the U.S.S.R. It seemed like a dream beyond a dream that I would ever have the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with Mr. Chernushenko, but he has become like a real father to me.

In the fall of 2002, I determined to audition for the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, and that was how I was able to meet Mr. Chernushenko personally. When I introduced myself, he took my hand and led me to his room to carry out a voice test, right then and there. Half an hour later, he called me in again and gave me permission to join the choir, saying, "You have a good voice. You should study so you can become a vocalist!" There was no way he could have known my childhood dream was actually to become the conductor of a symphony orchestra.

Mr. Chernushenko's lessons were like breathing air for the first time. I learned lessons in life and an encyclopedia of vocal music. Once, during a performance in Holland, I mustered the courage to ask him, "Please allow me to join your conducting classes. Please accept me as your disciple." I was expecting him to scold me, saying, "What a thing to be asked by a beardless youth such as yourself!" However, not only did he take me in as his disciple, he invited me to join his classes as soon as he returned to St. Petersburg so he could gain a better understanding of my abilities.

photo Vladislav Chernushenko

SGIQ: What would you consider to be the most important lesson you learned from him?

ML: The most important lessons were learned during the first few years. Mr. Chernushenko taught me the fundamental spirit and approach that would serve as a foundation of all the knowledge I subsequently gained. For example, he taught me that conductors should be proactive, not just figures who keep the rhythm. He also taught me that skill is necessary but it is not the most important thing, and that acquiring a skill is not the ultimate goal. Some teachers spend ages teaching their students how to wave the baton 30 cm to the left and 60 cm to the right. But from the start, Mr. Chernushenko claimed this was not the truth of music--the language of music and its essence being something the musician himself creates--and that all technical skill should merely serve to assist this process. This is the first and foremost point he emphasized.

SGIQ: In addition to music, what lessons did you learn from him that are still important in your life?

ML: There is no one lesson I can point to. For me, Mr. Chernushenko is a kind of planet that serves as a vast school of life. From the moment I met him until now, I can receive his guidance at any time, whether on the phone or face-to-face. Mr. Chernushenko has a strong sense of conviction. He is self-reliant, and he also has charisma and real strength as a conductor. I think we students also learn from his strength. Mr. Chernushenko experienced war when he was young--he was a child when World War II began, and he lived through the Siege of Leningrad. His modesty and sternness are part of what he conveys to his students.

SGIQ: What meaning or significance did your encounter with Mr. Chernushenko have on your life as a conductor?

ML: If I had not met Mr. Chernushenko, my life as a conductor would not have even existed. That's all I can say. If it wasn't for Mr. Chernushenko, I would never have joined and eventually conducted the choir, and would not have had the chance to study conducting. I would never have been given the opportunity to conduct for the wonderful orchestra of the St. Petersburg Choir or the Orchestra of the State Philharmonic Society of the Caucasus Mineral Waters region. There is no end to the list of experiences I have to thank him for. To me, Mr. Chernushenko is not just a professor--he is my teacher, my mentor. These words hold different meanings in the Russian language: A mentor is much more grand, but at the same time much closer than a professor.

Mr. Chernushenko is always in my heart and by my side. There is not a single moment when we are apart. This is something I feel at all times, and I believe this feeling will continue as long as I live. There are many others who have influenced me greatly, but as a special figure in my life, I would like Mr. Chernushenko to become known by many people, even outside of Russia.

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SGIQ: What are the characteristics of your mentor that you admire--what makes him a great person and teacher in your eyes?

ML: We his disciples claim that he is a truly great person, but Mr. Chernushenko himself has never claimed that he is great. Put simply, Mr. Chernushenko is an extremely hard worker who overflows with humanity. A student doesn't need much--most just take two lessons a week from their professor, and that's it. As for Mr. Chernushenko and I, we meet every day, either with the choir or at the music academy. At any time, I can talk with my mentor about music. I can call him at any time. After performances, he would always invite us students to his home. He sometimes treated us at the airport or at the coffee shop. When I talk about him, "person of great character" and "person of humanity" are the descriptions that spring to mind. I thank God for having been able to meet Mr. Chernushenko and for being born in the same age as him.

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