Panorama of Russian Romances

Continuing our Free Concert Series, we are thrilled to welcome Mezzo-Soprano Anastasia Sidorova, praised for her "luscious" sound (Opera News), and world-renowned Pianist Vera Danchenko-Stern to perform a curated selection from the Russian Romantic period including works by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and many more. Bring your Valentine for this Romantic concert.

Featuring:
Anastasia Sidorova, Mezzo-Soprano 
Vera Danchenko-Stern, Piano

The concert is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and family.

Music is an expression of the soul, and through the God-given gifts of a performer, can bring the listener closer to the source of all that is, Our Lord. Gifted artists, performing in our church, provide an opportunity for people who might not otherwise have the chance to experience this music performed live, to do so in an environment that inspires the human spirit to seek a closer connection to God.

Program: Panorama of Russian Romance

I Am Here, Inesilia..............................................M. Glinka (1804–1857)

Do Not Tempt Me Needlessly Sweet Sixteen............A. Dargomyzhsky (1813–1869)

The Youth and the Maiden Embrace Me, Kiss Me........M. Balakirev (1837–1910)

In the Silence of the Night.............................N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908)

The Clouds Begin to Scatter I Touched a Flower.........C. Cui (1835–1918)

The Night.................................................................A. Rubinstein (1829–1894)

None but the Lonely Heart — Op. 6, No. 6..........P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

The Stars Looked Tenderly upon Us — Op. 60, No. 12 
Amid the Din of the Ball — Op. 38, No. 3

The Little Stars..................................................D. Shostakovich (1906–1975)

Winter Way..............................................................G. Sviridov (1915–1998)

The Soldier’s Wife — Op. 8, No. 4................S. Rachmaninov (1873–1943)

Like Blossom Dew-Freshen’d to Gladness! — Op. 8, No. 2

Oh Stay, My Love, Forsake Me Not! — Op. 4, No. 1

Forgive Me..............................................................V. Gavrilin

(1939–1999)

Artist Bios:

Anastasia Sidorova, Mezzo-Soprano

Praised for her “luscious” sound (Opera News) mezzo-soprano Anastasiia Sidorova maintain active performing and teaching careers. She recently graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she held the Curtis Friends Board Fellowship and studied with Patricia McCaffrey.

This season Mrs. Sidorova appeared with Russian Chamber Art Society of Washington D.C. performing “The Ugly Duckling” by Sergei Prokofiev with the pianist Martín Labazevitch. In January 2025 Anastasia performed at The Water Island Music Festival in St. Thomas alongside accomplished pianist and composer Julian Gargiulo. In May 2025, she made her role debut as Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette with Bel Cantanti Opera.
In 2023-24 season Anastasia performed with Opera Delaware and Opera Columbus.
In addition to two seasons with Opera Philadelphia as an emerging artist, she has sung engagements with Wolf Trap Opera in Northern Virginia, Verbier Festival in Switzerland, Ravinia Festival in Chicago, Russian Chamber Art Society in Washington D.C., Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and Music Academy of the West in California.

In the 2021-22 season, Mrs. Sidorova sang Sesto in MERCY, a film by the Curtis Opera Theatre based on Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Madame Flora (Baba) in a film of The Medium, as well as performed Mahlers’ «Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen» with Curtis Chamber Ensemble under the baton of Robert Kahn.

Ms. Sidorova is a 1st Prize winner of both The 2023 World’s Biggest Stage Competition and Classical Singer Competition, as well as the recipient of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Encouragement Award , Gerda Lissner Lieder/Song competition Encouragement Award and Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition Encouragement Prize.

Ms. Sidorova currently serves as the Director of Music Ministry at Aldersgate UMC in Wilmington,DE and is a faculty member at the International School of Music in Potomac,MD and  Crestwood Music Education Center in Scarsdale, NY.

Vera Danchenko-Stern, Pianist

Pianist Vera Danchenko-Stern graduated with honors from Moscow's prestigious Gnessin Institute of Music in piano, solo performance, chamber music, vocal, and instrumental accompaniment. 

Immigrating to Canada in 1979, she joined the faculty of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, still continuing her pianist's career. She then moved to Washington, D.C. in 1990. 

Her concert appearances include accompanying world-renowned artists, such as violinists Martin Beaver, Ilya Kaler, violist Ryvka Golani, sopranos Carmen Balthrop, Jennifer Casey-Cabot, mezzo-sopranos Susana Poretsky, Audrey Babcock, baritone Sergei Leiferkus and bass Nikita Storojev, to name only a few.  A most significant and enjoyable artistic collaboration was - and still is - to share the stage with her brother, world-famous violinist Victor Danchenko. 

Ms. Danchenko-Stern served as the teacher of "Russian lyrics and diction" class at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. from 1992 till 2002.Since 1990, she has also been teaching the "Singing in Russian" class at the faculty of Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.  Four times, she has had an opportunity to present students of the Peabody Institute at the International Week of the Conservatories in St Petersburg, Russia, followed by concerts in Moscow.

Ms. Danchenko-Stern is the Russian diction coach of the Washington National Opera, collaborating with productions including Tsar's Bride, Boris Godunov, The Queen of Spades, and The Maiden of Orleans. She also coached the production of Evgeny Onegin at the Honolulu Opera and Ivan the Terrible with the Baltimore Symphony under the baton of Yuri Temirkanov. 

Ms. Danchenko-Stern is very sought after as a jury member in international competitions and as a master teacher. Her recent master classes were conducted at Princeton University and at Michigan State University.

In 2005, Ms. Danchenko-Stern founded the Russian Chamber Art Society, which presents concert series dedicated to Russian vocal music rarely heard in America.In 2008, she was nominated for the Governor's Award for the Arts in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Ms. Danchenko-Stern is included in the Centennial Edition of "Who's Who in American Women" and is a National Associate Artist of SAI.