Artistic Leadership

Set and Costume Designer Ekaterina Ivanovna

Artistic and Music Director
Mickey Hansen

Stage Director

Elizaveta Korneeva

Ekaterina Ivanovna Ageniy is a professional stage and set designer born in Moscow, Russia. She graduated with honors (Red Diploma) from the Faculty of Scenography at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) under the workshop of S. F. Morozov and A. V. Ledukhovsky, following training at an art school in Lyubertsy and book illustration courses at the I. Fedorov University of Printing Arts.

Throughout her career, she has collaborated extensively with prominent drama, opera, and ballet theatres. Notable projects include designing sets for Il Mondo della Luna and Vita Nuova at the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre, I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre, and Alice Through the Looking Glass at the Yekaterinburg State Opera and Ballet Theatre, with several productions earning prestigious recognitions such as Golden Mask Award nominations and the Onegin Award. In addition to theatre productions, she has contributed to exhibition design, presentation design, and graphic design, alongside participating in institutional exhibitions and independent theatre group projects.

Ms. Hansen is an accomplished conductor, oboist, and arranger with an international career spanning North American, Europe, and Asia. She most recently served as Assistant Conductor of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria (2023–2026) and Chicago Summer Opera (2026). In recent years, she has conducted the National Teleradio Orchestra of Moldova, Solti Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Sinfonio, Belgrade Chamber Orchestra, and Vratsa Symphony Orchestra.

Honors include First Prize with Outstanding Laureate distinction at World’s Best Musicians competition in Warsaw, Poland (2024), First Place in Conducting at the New York Classical Music Competition (2025), and Third Place in Conducting at the Vienna Classical Competition (2026). Previous positions include director for Chor auf dem Asterstein in Germany and as Music Director at Bethel Presbyterian in Seattle, and Burks UMC in Hixson, TN. As an oboist, Ms. Hansen has acted as principal oboe of the Sofia Philharmonic for its international tours and has been a member of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Wichita Grand Opera, Alamo City Opera, and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra. She is a founding member of the Collegedale Baroque Ensemble and sings in Choral Arts of Chattanooga.

Elizaveta Korneeva is an award-winning stage director whose work spans opera and music theater across Russia, Europe, and the United States. Since 2024, she has served as a stage director at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and is the chief stage director of the international Muffled Voices Festival. She is the founder of Montecchi vs Opera, an independent theater company dedicated to innovative interpretations of rarely performed and contemporary works. Her directing credits include the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, Opernhaus Hannover, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and leading opera houses throughout Russia. Combining classical stagecraft with avant-garde approaches, Korneeva is recognized for her psychologically nuanced storytelling, bold visual concepts, and exploration of complex human experiences. Since 2023, she has collaborated with the U.S.-based nonprofit Lyrica Classic Entertainment on international cultural projects supported by the U.S. Department of State, including productions highlighting women composers and contemporary American opera. Her work has earned the Onegin National Opera Prize, multiple nominations for the Golden Mask and Onegin awards, and recognition in national and international directing competitions.

Stanislavski in Opera

At the core of our artistic philosophy lies the rigorous integration of the Stanislavski system into the operatic framework. This methodology moves beyond traditional vocal technique, demanding that our advanced artists inhabit their roles with profound psychological truth and physical specificity. By treating the opera singer primarily as a dramatic actor who sings, we cultivate a level of performance that is as emotionally resonant as it is musically precise, ensuring a fully realized artistic work.

Operating under the scholarship of directors from world-class institutions like the Mariinsky and Bolshoi, our participants bridge the gap between professional rehearsal processes and real-world stage conditions. This disciplined approach ensures that every vocal choice is motivated by deep dramatic intent, producing works that mirror the intensity and cinematic quality of modern elite stage performance.

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