Interview With Lidiya Yankovskaya Part 1

In this interview with Lidiya Yankovskaya, she gives us an inside look into her latest showIl trittico.Not only that, she also talks about her career with her premiering more than 40 shows and what it has been like conducting three operas under three directors. She is a fierce ally and an advocate for females in orchestra.

Drew Janine: You have recently made your Australian debut with the world premiere of Il trittico. How did opening night feel and what did you do to calm any nerves?

Lidiya Yankovskaya: Each individual work in Il Trittico is a masterpiece on its own, but they are meant to be performed as one. It’s always very exciting to be a part of a performance whereby a company takes on all three simultaneously – unfortunately more and more rare today. One of the conductor’s biggest jobs during performance is to pace the dramatic arc of the evening. I find that performingIl Tritticofeels very different from a longer opera of the same length: although the preparation process is much greater, the performance is in many ways easier – each intermission is a complete reset, re-energizing you for the next show. It also makes opening night even more fun – it’s like opening three shows simultaneously! It’s so rewarding to give this to the audience.

DJ: What is your thought process for conducting three operas under three directors?

LY: It’s unusual for all three to be done as one evening under different directors (we’re unsure it’sever been done). Opera Australia’s Artistic Director Jo Davies making this bold choice allowed for the distinct features and unique strengths of each work to shine. I had the privilege of serving as a connection between the three, collaborating with each director in their vision, while figuring out the pacing and dramatic arc for the evening as a whole. It also made the rehearsals very exciting, since each director’s approach was vastly different – it made the process much more varied and energizing.

DJ: With conducting more than 40 world premiers, do you have any that stand out in your mind that you think will be life-long memories?

LY: There are so many superb new operas being written today, especially in the U.S. Each of the works I’ve done recently offers something distinct that makes me love it, and there are so many living composers and librettists whom I admire endlessly. Personally, the biggest impact on me has not been from any single premiere but from my experience as the Artistic Director of the Vanguard Initiative, which I founded at Chicago Opera Theater. It is a multi-year, fully immersive residency for first-time opera composers. Seeing these incredible composers – many of them highly established in other genres – come to opera has been revelatory. Through my work as a mentor with Vanguard, I myself have come to understand Opera more deeply than I ever could have solely as a conductor or composer or performer or administrator. It also reminds me how essential it is for opera organizations to not only commission new works, but to support creators in their journey – in the way that our canonic composers were supported by institutions decade after decade.

DJ: With your advocacy for females in orchestra, do you have advice for females trying to get further in their career?

LY: For people of any gender or background, I believe the most important things are a boundless love for the artform, and an insatiable desire to always learn and grow.

DJ: How do you discover new work in orchestra and opera, specifically the 11 new operas that helped advance seven female composers?

LY: I make a point of getting to know composers, eagerly seek out those who are new to me, and take the time to look at the work that creators send my way. I also work very hard to make choices that are based not on a specific preferred style or genre or taste, but rather on the innovation and skill and drive of the creator.

All images are courtesy of: Keith Saunders featuring the show Il Trittico.

Drew Janine

Live Sound Engineer -EUROPE

Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive as working behind the scenes in theatre as a live sound engineer. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020 and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending time on tour across the North American continent and Europe. Drew’s favourite by far though has been the chance to work on Broadway and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry and hopes to inspire others to continue working in theatre.

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