Musical Hour with Mezzo-Soprano Viktoriya Koreneva and Bass Kofi Hayford

Moving effortlessly between comic and serious, masculine and feminine roles, she has been lauded for her “extraordinarily beautiful voice, the dramatic intensity of which can send chills down your spine”. In the fall of 2018, Ms. Koreneva gave an electrifying performance as Adalgisa in Verismo Opera’s production of Norma. Earlier in the year, Ms. Koreneva had an overwhelming success singing the role of Lyubava in the US premier of N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko with Bel Cantanti Opera in Maryland, USA. Earlier in the year, he opened Tatiana’s Ball 2018 at the Russian Embassy in Washington DC with operatic selections from Eugene Onegin (Olga) and Snow maiden (Lel). A year prior, she made her role and house debuts in the title role of Mascagni’s Zanetto with Bel Cantanti Opera of Washington, DC and as Carmen in a concert of excerpts with Riverside Opera and the Richmond County Orchestra in New York; covered Amneris in Verismo Opera New Jersey’s production of Aida after winning her way to the finals in their competition; and created the roles of Alkmene and Pythia in the world premiere of Panagiotis Karousos’ opera Olympic Flame produced by the Federation of Hellenic Societies at Lincoln Center, for which she was praised for her “amazing performance” and “deep and distinguished” voice and received the UNESCO Honorary Award. In 2016, she appeared as a Nurse/Opera Singer in Francisco Solorzano’s award-winning 2016 short film, A Northern Star.  
https://www.vitakmusic.com 
Kofi Hayford, Ghanaian-American bass, described as possessing an “impressive” (Brooklyn Discovery) “sonorous,” (Meet Me at the Opera) and “stentorian bass voice” (National Herald) also produces a distinct sound - easily identified for its unique timbre. He is swiftly building his reputation as an accomplished young bass by bringing an ‘exciting’ and ‘stunning’ sound to the stage. Kofi’s major opera roles have included: La Roche in Strauss’ Capriccio, Raimondo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Mephistopheles in Faust, Rodolfo in La Sonnambula, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sparafucile and Monterone in Rigoletto, Commendatore in Don Giovanni, and Baldassare in La Favorita. Kofi sang the inaugural performance of the Greek Opera Olympic Flame singing the role of the titan Prometheus at Lincoln Center - later receiving an award from UNESCO for this performance. Other operatic roles and oratorio engagements include: The Monk and The Grand Inquisitor in Verdi’s Don Carlo; The Bonze in Madama Butterfly; Bass Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Rossini's Stabat Mater; Count Monterone and from Verdi’s Rigoletto; Angelotti and Sacristan in Puccini’s Tosca; Masetto in Don Giovanni, the Doctor and Baron Douphol in Verdi's La Traviata; Balthazar in Amahl & The Night Visitors. The 2018 1st Place Winner of the Tchaikovsky Music Competition in Albany, a 2007 Songfest Young Artist, and 2017 NJ State Opera Guild Competition Finalist, Kofi received his Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from SUNY Buffalo. Since graduating, Kofi has sung with many opera companies and orchestras in the East Region including: United Nations Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Loft Opera, Apotheosis Opera, Chelsea Opera, Central Florida Lyric Opera, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Regina Opera, Vocal Productions NYC, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, Manhattan Opera Studio, Amore Opera, Erie Opera Theatre, and several others. Details on future engagements are available at:
www.KofiHayford.com