Dresden – She came, sang and won. Singing student Anastasiya Taratorkina (27) from Dresden won first place in her first major European music competition! The Russian-born singer won the 70th International ARD Music Competition in Munich in September, beating off competition from 368 other contestants.

The beautiful soprano has been studying for a master’s degree in “Opera Singing” in Professor Hendrikje Wangemann’s class at the Dresden University of Music for a year.

“I first attended a music school in my home town of Novosibirsk and then the Glinka Conservatory for five years,” says Anastasiya.

She inherited her love of music from her grandmother, who gives piano lessons near Mannheim.

Dresden is Anastasiya’s great love: “I really wanted to study here, even though I’d never been to Dresden before. But I looked at photos on the internet – and fell in love with the city.”

Thanks to a Germany Scholarship from Baywobau Dresden, her dream came true. She managed the “rest” under her own steam.

“Because singing competitions are important for your career, I applied for the ARD competition,” laughs Anastasiya. “Even if September is an inconvenient time, because I can’t practise during the summer holidays like I can at university.”

Die zierliche junge Frau überzeugte trotzdem die Jury mit ihrer Stimme. “Immediately after the competition, I received offers and invitations to audition for various theatres,” says the soprano happily.

She can’t say which stage she will be on in two years’ time. However, she is certain: “I’m not going back to Russia, just for concerts.”

Katrin Koch, Tag24, 6 October 2021