Elena Sharkova to Lead Houston Chamber Choir in A WIDOW INTO THE RUSSIAN SOUL

Brilliant young conductor Elena Sharkova leads Houston Chamber Choir on Saturday, November 12th at 7:30 pm in a concert entitled "A Window into the Russian Soul" at St. Philip Presbyterian Church.

The program will explore the depths of the mysterious Russian soul in a moving concert featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and the Houston premiere of Chimes by Valery Gavrillin.

"We are thrilled to welcome such an incomparable conductor to the city of Houston," says Lorenzo Martinez, Executive Director of Houston Chamber Choir. As a passionate advocate for Russian choral music, Sharkova intends to spotlight various chambers of the Russian soul in musical terms. "This music is going straight to the heart. The audience will be taken so strongly by the sincerity and emotion in every piece," says Sharkova. The program will chronologically explore historical segments of Russia's both turbulent and triumphant past.

As a graduate of the prestigious St. Petersburg Conservatory, Sharkova has reached a pinnacle few, if any, Russian female conductors can claim. She is recognized nationally and internationally as an inspirational, versatile, and effective conductor, choral clinician, music educator, and lecturer. Her upbringing in St. Petersburg molded Sharkova both personally and professionally. "Music has been my religion since I was little because there wasn't much else that was so divine, so beautiful."

Tickets are $36 for Adults and $32 for Seniors (65+). Student tickets are available for $10 with valid student ID. They can be purchased online at www.houstonchamberchoir.org, or on site the day of the performance. Advanced purchase is recommended because of limited seating capacity.