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Opera Star Vladimir Chernov Appointed Professor of Vocal Studies in the UCLA Department of Music

Los Angeles, CA ----- Ian Krouse, chair of the UCLA Department of Music in the School of the Arts and Architecture, announced the appointment of Vladimir Chernov as professor of vocal studies at UCLA.

“Vladimir Chernov is one of the most prestigious appointments in the department’s recent history. At the pinnacle of professional achievement, he is a true artist with impeccable training and credentials and is one of the most admired singers of the world’s opera stages. We are honored to have him in our ranks, ” Krouse said. “Although he maintains a full schedule of engagements and is regarded as one of the great bel canto baritones singing today, he has demonstrated during his residencies at UCLA that he is a deeply committed and effective teacher and will be an exceptional role model for our students.” Chernov’s own training includes a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the Moscow Conservatory and he has taught at Moscow Conservatorium, University of Miami, Berlin Hochschule, Helsinki University and UCLA among others.

Chernov made his United States debut at Los Angeles Opera in the 1989-90 season as Posa in Verdi’s Don Carlo opposite Plácido Domingo and at the Metropolitan Opera of New York in 1991. He has traveled the world singing over 45 different roles from the bel canto repertory and has been featured in productions for nearly every important opera company including Covent Garden, La Scala, Teatro Colon, the Bolshoi and Kirov Operas, Paris Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and the Vienna State Opera, under many of today’s most noteworthy conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Valery Gergiev, James Levine and Seiji Ozawa.

Vladimir Chernov has been an active recitalist performing in many of the most prestigious music venues and has been a soloist with the world’s leading orchestras including London, Rome, Moscow, Los Angeles, the St. Petersberg Philharmonics, the Bayerische Rundfunkorchester and the Metropolitan Opera orchestra. His repertoire includes the standard masterpieces by the leading composers of the Italian bel canto tradition, such as Bellini, Cilea, Donizetti, Rossini, and Verdi, as well as those of the Russian school by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev,
and Rachmaninoff. He is widely regarded as one of the finest Verdi baritones of our time and has done all the major Verdi roles in his sixteen-year career. Recently he debuted in the role of Sharpless from Puccini's Madama Butterfly for Los Angeles Opera. His most requested roles include Germont in La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra, Eugene Onegin, Miller in Luisa Miller, Enrico in Lucia de Lammermoor, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Prince Yeletsky in The Queen of Spades.

His discography includes featured roles in Verdi, Rossini and Russian operas with opera stars equal to his stature such as Aprile Millo, Samuel Ramey, Placido Domingo, Florence Quivar, Cheryl Studer, Luciano Pavarotti, Valery Gergiev, Kiri te Kanawa, and many others. His recordings include Il Trovatore, Luisa Miller, and Don Carlo for Sony Classical, Rigoletto for Deutsche Grammonphon, Un Ballo in Maschera for Teldec, Pique Dame for Philips as well as video recordings of Simon Boccanegra and Stiffelio for Deutsche Grammophon.

“Vladimir has won us over, not just with his unquestioned brilliance, but also for his humility, humanity, and infectious energy,” said Juliana Gondek, head of the UCLA vocal studies program. “He has demonstrated an unusual ability to deal with the sorts of technical fundamentals that elude many voice teachers. In every case, he is able to take the student from where they present to even greater heights. We have been particularly delighted that an opera star like Vladimir has not only the capability, but also the enthusiasm and the passion to work even with the department's youngest singers. All who work with him feel empowered, ennobled, and valued.”

In accepting the position at UCLA, professor Chernov said, “I appreciate the national recognition of the vocal studies program at UCLA and I hope to contribute to the careers of these talented and hard-working singers. It gives me great pleasure to pass the knowledge, experience and particularly the love of the art of singing to the next generation. I have studied music and technique from exceptional teachers and I try to show the passion and thrill of this field to young people to keep the flame alive. I am thankful to department chair Ian Krouse and Juliana Gondek for this opportunity.”

About the Department of Music

The Department of Music prepares students for professional careers as performers and composers with degree programs that fully integrate academic and artistic excellence. Studies emanate from both the American and European music traditions with a strong focus on the international character of late 20th century composers and performers.

The addition of the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees has heralded a new era for the Department of Music. Gifted students from throughout the world have the opportunity to study with renowned artist faculty. Residencies with international artists, brought to campus under the auspices of UCLA Live, enrich the artistic and intellectual training. Guest artists have included tenor/conductor Placido Domingo, soprano Carol Vaness, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, composer Jerry Goldsmith, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and jazz artists Charlie Haden and Toshiko Akiyoshi.

Students have the opportunity to perform in several outstanding large ensembles, such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, Chorale, and Wind Ensemble. Opera studies has been expanded and enhanced. Since 1998, students have performed in Verdi’s “Falstaff” (1997-1998), “La Mamelles de Tirésias” and “Gianni Schicchi” (1998-1999), Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah” (1999-2000), Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” (2000-2001) and “La Finta Giardiniera” (2001-2002), Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortileges” and “L’Heure Espagnole” (2002-2003), Benjamin Britten’s “Albert Herring” (2003-2004), the world premiere of Ian Krouse's opera "Lorca, Child of the Moon” and Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” (2004-2005), and Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2006-2007).

Representative alumni include:

§ Brian Asawa, countertenor
§ Peter L. Atherton, singer and music educator
§ Gary Bachlund, opera singer
§ John Biggs, composer
§ Tom Bopp, pianist and keyboard player
§ Carol Burnett, actress and comedienne
§ Johnnie Carl, composer/arranger, Crystal Cathedral
§ Matthew Cody, composer and conductor
§ Don Davis, film composer (“The Matrix” franchise)
§ Michael Eagan, director and co-founder of Musica Angelica
§ Janice Foy, cellist
§ Joseph Julian Gonzales, composer
§ Richard Grayson, composer, professor emeritus, Occidental College
§ Ara Guzelimian, artistic administrator, Carnegie Hall
§ Jake Heggie, classical composer (“Dead Man Walking”)
§ James Horner, Academy Award winning film composer (“Titanic”)
§ Evan Hughes, bass-baritone
§ Laura Kuhn, director, John Cage Trust
§ Gregory Maldonado, founder of Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra
§ Kathleen Moon, harpist; executive secretary of American Harp Society
§ Randy Newman, singer, songwriter (“I Love L.A.”) and Academy Award winning film composer (“Monsters, Inc.”)
§ Kelley O’Connor, opera singer
§ Carlo Ponti Jr., conductor
§ Lucas Richman, resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony
§ Peter Rutenberg, founder and director of the Los Angeles Chamber Singers
§ Erin Wood Schaefer, opera singer
§ Russell Steinberg, composer
§ Gordon Theil, head of UCLA Music Library
§ Raymond Torres-Santos, composer
§ Chris Young, film composer