Folk Song Ensemble “Istoki” are the laureates of the All-Russian (with International Participation) Vocal Competition

In November the All-Russian (with international participation) vocal competition “If the Heart Speaks…” took place, organized by the Omsk College of Culture and Arts with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Omsk Oblast.

The goal of the competition is the preservation and development of cultural traditions and musical heritage of people in Russia. More than 150 applications were submitted from all over Russia!

The folk song ensemble “Istoki” presented four performances in the non-final (remote) stage and one in the final (in-person) stage.

The competition jury, composed of: Chairman Ilya Nikolaevich Mikhaltsev, choirmaster of the State Academic Omsk Russian Folk Choir; Lyudmila Ivanovna Pokhilko, Honored Worker of General Education of the Russian Federation, Honored Worker of Education of the Omsk Oblast; Evgenia Vyacheslavovna Komarovskaya, leader of the folklore ensemble “Slavyane,” teacher of the highest qualification category, laureate of national and international competitions, organizer of the international art project “ETHNO-ERA,” gave a worthy assessment of our ensemble’s performances:

- Laureate III degree — Veronika Medyukova;
- Laureate III degree — trio: Alisa Frolova, Olga Andreeva, Marina Kostenko;
- Diploma I degree — soloists: Marina Kostenko; Alisa Frolova; Olga Andreeva;
- Diploma “For Pedagogical Talent” awarded to the ensemble’s director — Evgenia Rudolfovna Berkunova.

Olga Andreeva shared her impressions:

“I participated in the competition ‘If the Heart Speaks…’ in the in-person format. This is not my first time taking part in competitions at the Omsk College of Culture and Arts. The inspiring atmosphere encourages work at a higher level. The competent jury is always gratifying, as they can evaluate and guide you to improve your skills. Participants came from other regions, which made the competition more intriguing and interesting. I express my deep gratitude for the opportunity to take part in such international competitions.”

We congratulate the folk song ensemble “Istoki” and director Evgenia Rudolfovna Berkunova on their well-deserved awards! We wish them creative success and new victories!