Spring blues 2026
Jury
Olga Tsipina.
Born on 05/19/1961 in Moscow, Russia.
Field of activity - easel and monumental painting, mosaics, frescoes, stained-glass windows, icons.
Studied 1968-1978 - high school.
1975-1978 - painting and drawing at an art school.
In 1978 she entered the Moscow Polygraphic Institute, the department of graphics and design.
In 1980 she began to work in the genres of easel and monumental painting.
Since 1995 she worked in the icon-painting workshop of St. Alipia, participated in the monumental painting of temples.
In 2007 studied and worked in A. Kornaukhov's mosaic workshop.
She also made stained glass windows. She took part in exhibitions in Russia and abroad.
Since 2009 I have been living in IsraelHer works are in private collections and public buildings in Europe, Russia and Israel and other countries.
Member of the Russian Union of Artists since 2000 (icon painting) and a member of the Union of Russian Artists in Paris (painting) since 2005.
Veronika Khvalevsky Grace - mezzo-soprano opera singer, laureate of international competitions,
conductor, teacher with 25 years of experience, member of the jury of many vocal competitions
and head of the "Harmony" Vocal School - the leading creative group in the city of Jerusalem.
She is organaizer and director of Holy Land Company(International Festivals and Contests of Art and Creativity)
Veronika has participated in many festivals, including the festival dedicated to the visit of Pope John Paul II to Astana,
Kazakhstan. 2001 and the 2003 Young Talents Festival in Seoul, South Korea.
She was seen on the opera stage in such roles as Marcellina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro,
Giovanna in Verdi's Rigoletto, Larina in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin,
Kate in Madame Butterfly by Puccini; and Carmen in Bizet's masterpiece.
Since arriving in Israel in 2005, Ms Grace has performed both locally and abroad.
She has recently appeared in the Tel Aviv opera Sadna and the opera Aeterna in Jerusalem.
She was mentored by famous vocal teachers in Germany and the USA, namely:
John Norris from the New York Metropolitan Opera, Joan Donermann,
Mignon Dunn, Olga Makarina,Emma Sarkisian.
In 2008 she performed with Ranaana Orchestra,
and presented programm of Russian romances of russian famous composers.
In 2009 she gave concerts in Italy, in the theaters "Pergolesi" and "Gentile",
participated in the "Master class at the Teatro Rossini" in Pesaro,
Master class with Placido Domingo in Verona, participated in the festival of sacred music in Rome,
participated at the Opera Festival in Bergamo Italy 2012 at the opera Serenade in the Wind by Finzi as Countess,
and in numerous other vocal competitions and festivals, where she was awarded high prizes and awards.
In 2019 she was invited to the International Opera Project where she performed
at the Bolshoi Theater, on the Pokrovsky stage, in Puccini's opera Suor Angelica as Badesa, Moscow.
In 2021 performed in Concert of winners of "Classical Music Awards Contest" in Carnegie Hall in New York USA.
Yuri Gilyadov
Was born in 1948.
1966 -1970 graduated from the music school in Makhachkala trumpet class.
1970-1975 student of the Gnessin State Pedagogical Institute in the class
of Professor T.A. Dokshitser (Moscow).1975-1990 Zauch,
later director of the Music College in Derbent.
Since 1990 he has been living in Israel.Prior to retirement,
he worked in the education department of the city hall of Hadera.
Chernoknizhnaya Tatyana , teacher of modern jazz dance, contact improvisation, tap dance and hatha yoga coach, city Dnepropetrovsk.
In 1989 she graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, specialization - rhythmic gymnastics, pedagogical faculty.
1987-1991 ballet dancer in the modern ballet studio of Honored Artist of Ukraine O.V. Nikolaev.
1991-2000 ballet dancer, teacher of modern jazz at the school of modern ballet and in the company"Dance Empire International" A.V. Kolmakov (Ukraine, Austria).
Since 2000, joint work with the director-choreographer Papish V.I. over their own dance creative projects in ten countries of the World.
Since 2013, a permanent member of the International Festival "Kaleidoscope of Talents", Poland.
Since 2014, she has been a teacher of jazz-continental dance technique and dance gymnastics at the Teatro-School of Contemporary Dance "Streams" by Elena Budnitskaya, Dnipro, Ukraine.
Participation as a jury member in many international festivals, conducting master classes and creative laboratories.
Meritxell Rodés
Musician, singer, painter, artist
Born in Barcelona, of catalan origin.
She studied Theatrical Arts in England (Colchester)
and music with two distinguished professors Ala Voronkova
(violin) and Tamara Alexeeva (vocal) in Barcelona.
Soloist and flute player of the first Irish band in Barcelona
"Ger the Rigger", singing in English and Gaelic,
touring several cities in Spain and Great Britain.
She started studying russian in 1993 and felt in
love with the language, culture and music of Russia.
She has been awarded in many festivals in Russia and abroad.
Winner of the National Festival in the Kremlin Palace (Moscow)
"Chanson of the Year" "For the popularization of Russian songs in Europe".
"Big Romansiada" Award (Moscow)
"Ambassador of Russian romance".
Her repertoire includes traditional, folklore, shanson,
romances, city romances, Vladimir Vissotsky's songs,
songs of the war years and the URSS.
She sings mainly in russian, spanish, catalan and french,
having translated russian songs into catalan.
She gives many concerts in Europe and Russia,
in where she has been very often congratulated by the
Department of culture in Moscow and various other
administrative, cultural and public organizations of Russia.
Her contribution into friendship and cultural cooperation
between countries is very significant.
Daniel Pukshansky - theater and film actor,
director, student of Lev Dodin,
worked at MDT - Theater of Europe,
at the "People and Dolls" theater,
Leonid Khait in "Gabim"in
"Teatron Ha-Tzaphon",produced 5 one-man
performances andseveral poetry programs.
Veronika Khvalevsky Grace - mezzo-soprano opera singer, laureate of international competitions,
conductor, teacher with 25 years of experience, member of the jury of many vocal competitions
and head of the "Harmony" Vocal School - the leading creative group in the city of Jerusalem.
She is organaizer and director of Holy Land Company(International Festivals and Contests of Art and Creativity)
Veronika has participated in many festivals, including the festival dedicated to the visit of Pope John Paul II to Astana,
Kazakhstan. 2001 and the 2003 Young Talents Festival in Seoul, South Korea.
She was seen on the opera stage in such roles as Marcellina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro,
Giovanna in Verdi's Rigoletto, Larina in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin,
Kate in Madame Butterfly by Puccini; and Carmen in Bizet's masterpiece.
Since arriving in Israel in 2005, Ms Grace has performed both locally and abroad.
She has recently appeared in the Tel Aviv opera Sadna and the opera Aeterna in Jerusalem.
She was mentored by famous vocal teachers in Germany and the USA, namely:
John Norris from the New York Metropolitan Opera, Joan Donermann,
Mignon Dunn, Olga Makarina,Emma Sarkisian.
In 2008 she performed with Ranaana Orchestra,
and presented programm of Russian romances of russian famous composers.
In 2009 she gave concerts in Italy, in the theaters "Pergolesi" and "Gentile",
participated in the "Master class at the Teatro Rossini" in Pesaro,
Master class with Placido Domingo in Verona, participated in the festival of sacred music in Rome,
participated at the Opera Festival in Bergamo Italy 2012 at the opera Serenade in the Wind by Finzi as Countess,
and in numerous other vocal competitions and festivals, where she was awarded high prizes and awards.
In 2019 she was invited to the International Opera Project where she performed
at the Bolshoi Theater, on the Pokrovsky stage, in Puccini's opera Suor Angelica as Badesa, Moscow.
In 2021 performed in Concert of winners of "Classical Music Awards Contest" in Carnegie Hall in New York USA.
Algirdas Grinkevičius Lithuania
Professional vocal coach Long-term leader of choirs, ensembles and soloists.
Organizer of the international competition for young vocalists "Baltic Voice" .
Chernoknizhnaya Tatyana , teacher of modern jazz dance, contact improvisation, tap dance and hatha yoga coach, city Dnepropetrovsk.
In 1989 she graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, specialization - rhythmic gymnastics, pedagogical faculty.
1987-1991 ballet dancer in the modern ballet studio of Honored Artist of Ukraine O.V. Nikolaev.
1991-2000 ballet dancer, teacher of modern jazz at the school of modern ballet and in the company"Dance Empire International" A.V. Kolmakov (Ukraine, Austria).
Since 2000, joint work with the director-choreographer Papish V.I. over their own dance creative projects in ten countries of the World.
Since 2013, a permanent member of the International Festival "Kaleidoscope of Talents", Poland.
Since 2014, she has been a teacher of jazz-continental dance technique and dance gymnastics at the Teatro-School of Contemporary Dance "Streams" by Elena Budnitskaya, Dnipro, Ukraine.
Participation as a jury member in many international festivals, conducting master classes and creative laboratories.
Dmitry Mrikotenko was born in Tbilisi on April 19, 1970.
The first work on the professional stage was the role of Bachana the boy,
played at the age of 10, in the play "The Law of Eternity",
based on the novel by N. Dumbadze, at the Tbilisi Russian Drama Theater. A.S. Griboyedov.
After graduating from the Tbilisi Theater Institute. S. Rustaveli, served in the drama theater.
From 1995 to 2006 he created revue performances "Odessa Courtyards", "Wandering Stars",
"Jester with You", "Both Laughter and Sin", touring the cities of Russia, USA, Germany,
Czech Republic, Israel. At the same time, he taught acting at theater schools in Tel Aviv, Chicago, Prague.
Since 2006, he regularly took part in the television programs "Laughing is Permitted",
"Laughter with Home Delivery", "Humor Club", "Good Evening, Moscow" on the channels
"Russia" and "TVC", in 2007-2011 he was the artistic director and the host of the festival
"Chanson Zone" in Jurmala, concert and anniversary programs in the concert hall "Russia",
"Luzhniki", the hall. Tchaikovsky, Moscow Variety Theater.
In 2006, at the invitation of Mosconcert, he headed the concert and festival department
of this renowned concert organization. Programs and shows created by D. Mrikotenko
(director - Honored Artist of Russia V. Pasynkov) with the participation of Russian pop stars
I. Kobzon, L. Zykina L. Dolina, G. Leps, I. Alegrova,
T. Gverdtsiteli and others. the visiting card of "Mosconcert".
Viktoria Katt (Estonia)
Sculptor, artist, performer of copyright songs, composer,
art director of the creative team "VJUNEL STUUDIO".
Finalist of the "HIT PARADE" project on the radio
"Voices of the Planet" and the winner of the "TOP HIT"
project on the radio "Unknown Genius",
organizer of the international festivals "TALLINNA GOLD CHANSON"
& "TALLINNA GOLD MIX", a member of the Union of Authors of Estonia
Giliomee Jacobs was born in South Africa on the 2nd of June 1976.
He started with Vocal Training at the age of 4 and did my first Corporate
function together with a few other older artists that same year.
Since then he have taken part in various talent competitions and
performed at various shows and functions.
At the age of 13 he helped my mother to organise shows at old age
homes where he usually sang and played the piano and keyboard.
The shows grew bigger and I had to start helping the other younger
performers to get their vocals and choreography in top shape for the shows.
He shared all the knowledge I picked up over the years with them
to make sure that they can give their best.
During all this time I was still getting
vocal coaching myself up to the age of 17.
In his final school year He decided to open my own business
called "The Gemini Music Academy".
He 've been a vocal trainer since.
"The Gemini Music Academy" turned 28 years in 2022.
He've worked with a lot of local South African artists
over the past years and also had lots of my students receive
Medals and Trophies in Talent Competitions.