Alexandra Zvereva was born in Yekaterinburg in 1997. She began studying music at the Children's Music School No. 2 named after M.I. Glinka under the guidance of Olga Kozhevnikova. She later graduated from the Ural Music College, studying under Alexander Golovanov. She is now a graduate of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she was a student of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and professor Alexander Golyshev, and became his assistant-intern in 2021. Zvereva was a laureate of the II prize at the Youth Delphic Games of Russia in Volgograd in 2014, and the winner of the II Open Flutists Competition GNESINFEST in Moscow. She also won the II prize at the IX International Competition of the Moscow Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky for wind and percussion performers in 2017. In 2019, she won the II prize of the International Flutists Competition named after Domenico Cimarosa in Italy, and in 2020, she was a laureate of the II prize of the III All-Russian Music Competition in Moscow. Since 2019, Zvereva has been an artist of the State Symphony Orchestra "Novaya Rossiya" under the direction of Yuri Bashmet. She has been a participant in programs of the St. Petersburg Music House since 2013.
 
Alexandra Zvereva: 2013 was a turning point in my creative development. That year, I won a position in the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Yuri Bashmet, where I served as a concertmaster for the flute group for 8 years, and also became a participant in the programs of the St. Petersburg Music House, where I am still a soloist. Both of these projects played a significant role in shaping my musical career. The uniqueness of the St. Petersburg Music House lies in the fact that its projects are aimed at comprehensive creative development - it is a large complex of educational and performance programs. I participated in master classes and summer schools organized by the St. Petersburg Music House every year, where I met Professor Vincent Lucas of the Paris Conservatory. Lessons and communication with him enriched me year after year, gave me a constant motivation, and gradually led me to new heights of professional mastery. I can say that even in today's age of globalization, where the boundaries of national schools are gradually being erased, I consider myself a follower of the Russian flute school, a successor to the traditions passed down to me by my wonderful professor Alexander Mikhailovich Golyshev. But thanks to the St Petersburg Music House and frequent classes with Vincent Lucas, I can synthesize the best of the Russian and French schools, thus discovering something new for myself. The abundance of master classes not only gave impetus to my personal professional growth but also helped me improve my teaching skills, which I can successfully apply in my work as a teacher at the Ippolitov-Ivanov State Music Pedagogical Institute and the Sirius Educational Center.
Undoubtedly, I cannot fail to appreciate the contribution of the St. Petersburg Music House to my stage experience. It is important for young musicians to constantly be on stage in order to learn to cope with stage anxiety, understand the acoustic characteristics of different venues, expand their repertoire, know how to interact with the orchestra and conductor, and "feel the hall and the audience." Thanks to such chamber and symphonic concerts, I have reached a new level of quality in concert performance, met wonderful ensembles and their leaders, visited various cities and countries, and gained invaluable experience.
The St. Petersburg Music House is like a big family, where everyone is passionately devoted to serving music. Here, besides everything else, I've made good friends with whom I continue to work closely towards our shared goals. I'm grateful to the St. Petersburg Music House for everything they do for me, and I believe our partnership will only grow stronger in the future.
 
St. Petersburg Music House (SPMH): You are a member of the Music House's "Music of Stars" project. Which star composers writing for the flute and contemporary performers would you name?
Alexandra Zvereva: Flute repertoire is often underestimated, but in fact, it is extremely extensive and diverse. Among the "star" flute composers, first and foremost, I would like to highlight our famous compatriot Vladimir Nikolaevich Tsybin. His contribution to the flute repertoire, abundance of methodical literature, brought the flute music in Russia to a new level. Considering that the professional school of playing the flute originated in France, it is natural that our repertoire gives considerable place to the music of French composers. Among them, I would highlight Paul Taffanel, Philippe Gaubert, and Gabriel Fauré. And, of course, Bach - his music occupies, perhaps, a central place in the world repertoire of all instruments. Without Bach, there would not be a large number of musical masterpieces that we have today.
As for performers, I wouldn't take on such a burden of responsibility to assert an exact list of stars. Even for myself, this list changes in different periods of my life. But personally, I can say that I cannot imagine the current flute world without Sir James Galway, Emmanuel Pahud, Vincent Lucas, Philippe Bernold, Felix Renggli, Janos Balint, and Hans-Udo Heinzmann.
 
SPMH: What do you consider to be new and fashionable in your field?
Alexandra Zvereva: Luckily, in our field, the term "fashionable" is very relative. There are periods when everyone starts buying various devices to improve the quality of flute sound, experimenting with the instrument, or when the music of certain composers becomes predominant in the repertoire of flutists, and performers become more interested in contemporary music with modern techniques, and so on. However, this picture constantly changes. Despite the fact that the first archaeological finds of flutes date back to 35-40 millennia BC, our modern Boehm flute is still very young, not even 200 years old. Therefore, we are still in a constant search, and each person chooses their own path to understanding the instrument.
 
 
SPMH: The flute is unique among other wind instruments in that the responsibility for the sound cannot be delegated to "gadgets" such as the reed or mouthpiece. How do you work with the sound and its nuances?
Alexandra Zvereva: Indeed, when playing the flute, responsibility for the sound cannot be delegated to the reed or mouthpiece, and this is the beauty of our instrument. The richness of flute timbres depends entirely on the performer, as we are the ones making the sound, and the flute helps us convey to the listener what we want to express. To become a professional flutist, there is a very important criterion: one must become one with their instrument. On the path to achieving this goal, two things must be clearly understood. First: musical performance is not just creativity, it is also a sport where sufficient time must be devoted daily to the development of each muscle group. For us, this means developing our lip, breathing, and finger techniques. Second: to achieve high results, practicing on the instrument alone is not enough. It is necessary to constantly develop in all areas of life, not just in art, but in other activities as well. If you want to find more colors in sound, seek more colors in life. Therefore, in answer to the question of how I work on sound quality, I always devote sufficient time to instructional material for the flute. I love playing exercises; for me, it is a kind of meditation, and I am constantly in the process of self-development in various fields!
 
SPMH: What drew you to the flute when you were a child?
Alexandra Zvereva: I don't have a beautiful romantic story about how the flute chose me and I chose the flute. I entered the Glinka Children's Music School in Yekaterinburg with only one goal - to learn to play the guitar. But it turned out that the guitar teacher had left shortly before my arrival. I was offered to study in the flute class, and I agreed solely out of curiosity. I was very lucky that throughout my creative journey I was led by talented teachers: Olga Igorevna Kozhevnikova at the music school, Alexander Vladimirovich Golovanov at the Ural Music College, and Alexander Mikhailovich Golyshev at the conservatory.
The atmosphere of the music school, together with the professionalism of my teachers, gave birth to my love for music, but not immediately, rather it had an accumulative effect. After studying the flute since the age of 7, I decided to make it my future profession at the age of 13. In the first years of studying, I enjoyed participating in competitions more because I always won in childhood competitions. But overall, like many children, I preferred to run and play rather than sit for hours with an instrument. So how did I become a professional musician? My dear parents, Diana and Evgeniy Zverev, who are not musicians, played a big role in this. Since early childhood, they taught me self-discipline, taught me that there is the word "must" and a clear distinction between work and leisure, but at the same time, they never put too much pressure on me and never forced me to pursue music professionally. But since I studied in a music school, I had to do my job very well with great dedication. Therefore, I can confidently say that I had a happy childhood, and those precious hours of diligent practice were not lost, laying the foundation for my entire life. At some point, all the stars aligned, and when I was still a teenager, I fell in love with music and my instrument with all my heart. I feel how this love continues to grow and strengthen with each passing year, which makes me understand that I am on the right path.
 
SPMH: What does your style of performance mean to you? Have you found it?
Alexandra Zvereva: Fortunately, music doesn't need words. Therefore, it is the most sincere and honest form of art. When we try to clothe our inner experiences in words or express them through drawings or dance, we often fall short of what we want to convey. Music, on the other hand, has a special ability to convey emotions directly and clearly, regardless of language barriers. For me, the style of performance is not just a set of techniques and skills; it is a way of self-expression, a way to convey my inner world to the listener. I believe that every performer should have their own individual style, which is a reflection of their personality and life experience. And yes, I have found my style, but I am still working on it and developing it every day.
 
SPMH: What style of musicians do you feel closest to?
Alexandra Zvereva: I listen to music of various genres a lot and often. For me, the criteria of "flute playing" or "piano playing" have never been important. There is good music, there are good musicians, everything else is secondary. Currently, I feel close to the performance style and creative worldview of such musicians as Emmanuel Pahud, Jakub Józef Orliński, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky, Martin Frost, Albrecht Mayer, Nikolai Lugansky, Mikhail Pletnev, Herbert von Karajan, and others. This list may undergo some changes daily, but the people listed above always occupy a central place in it. In each musical style, each genre, and in general in various directions of art, there is a "mighty bunch" of creators who are very close to me in spirit. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to talk about everyone and give each person the attention they deserve.
 
SPMH: In your opinion, what combination of timbres makes the flute sound the brightest and most harmonious? Which instrument is the most pleasant for it to "dialogue" with?
Alexandra Zvereva: As a true devoted servant of my instrument, I believe that the flute is absolutely beautiful and versatile, as we can hear music of extraordinary beauty when it engages in dialogue with any instrument. I am constantly involved in chamber projects and play in various ensembles, I like to search for new timbral colors, interesting sounds, and perform music on an equal footing with other instrumentalists, creating beauty through joint efforts. But perhaps, I would give the palm of the first place to the duet of the flute and cello here. Several years ago, I formed a duet with a wonderful cellist, Honored Artist of Russia Alexey Naydenov. This ensemble has an extensive original repertoire, and a talented young composer, Andrey Artyomov, always makes arrangements of any other music for us. The merger of flute and cello can give completely unpredictable interesting colors, which, in turn, gives us ample scope for creativity.
 
SPMH: At the concert "Evenings in the English Hall" at the House of Music on May 16, you will perform Bach's works, compositions by 20th-century composers, and a completely modern transcription by Denis Buryakov. In your opinion, what significant contributions did each century make to the flute repertoire?
Alexandra Zvereva: Each era has given us a wealth of works, greatly enriching our repertoire. And within each era, there is a certain set of works that make up the central core of our repertoire. The creation of such masterpieces has spurred other composers of the time to pay closer attention to our instrument, and the enrichment of our repertoire has given impetus and motivation for flutists to improve their performance level. Considering that today, our instrument holds great importance in contemporary music, we have a long and interesting journey of improvement ahead of us.
 
SPDM: What's your attitude towards arrangements of world repertoire for the flute?
Alexandra Zvereva: I'm not just positive about arrangements, I think they're necessary, especially for educational purposes. After all, becoming a professional musician is a massive complex that must include studying world music masterpieces. It doesn't matter which instrument you play; it's important to understand these great works from the inside, to feel why they are golden repertoire, as music itself can teach you a lot. The other question is that some works are impossible to play well in an arrangement, and some music simply doesn't sound as good as the original. But that's a matter of taste, and much depends on the professionalism and talent of the performer.
 
SPDM: Do flutists have any "corporate" superstitions? Taboos? Omens?
Alexandra Zvereva: Your question caught me off guard, and my lack of a clear answer makes me doubt whether I'm a true representative of my trade. But, of course, I'm joking. I can't recall any ritual actions that every flutist must do. Everything is individual. Some believe that if the rehearsal doesn't sound great, then the performance will be excellent. Others think that it's best to eat light food on the day of the concert to avoid overloading their bodies. Some drink coffee before performing, and others engage in sports activities in the morning of the concert day, and so on. As for me, I prefer to rest my head and muscles the day before the concert to keep them in good shape for the next day. On the day of the performance, after warming up on the instrument, I like to read a book to "tune" my concentration and calm my soul. However, if for any reason, things don't go as smoothly as I would like, I don't worry too much. A professional musician shouldn't let external factors influence their performance level and quality on stage because, as the famous Queen song goes, "the show must go on," no matter what!
 
Interview by Tatiana Mikhailova.