SATURDAY
November 22, AT 7:00 PM
Maryland Theatre
Baruch's Silence
Muffled Voices Festival
"Baruch Silence"
Historic Auditorium
One-act chamber opera for 8 soloists and chamber orchestra by Ella Milch-Sheriff.
Duration 110 minutes without intermission
Post-Show Reception
Theater foyer
Join the post-show reception and celebrate the festival’s season launch!
Tickets are limited. All attendees MUST have a ticket to the performance in order to attend the reception.
Welcome to the opening of the second season of the Muffled Voices Festival — a celebration of women composers through powerful chamber opera productions that illuminate stories of courage, memory, and resilience.
This evening features the U.S. premiere of Baruch’s Silence, a one-act chamber opera by Ella Milch-Sheriff. Inspired by the diary of a Holocaust survivor, this profoundly moving work explores trauma, inherited silence, and the path toward forgiveness through haunting music and gripping dramatic narrative.
The production is staged by acclaimed opera director Elizaveta Korneeva and performed by a cast of internationally celebrated artists, joined by orchestra under the baton of conductor Daiana Gofman.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of powerful storytelling—and stay afterward for a festive Post-Show Reception to celebrate the launch of our second season. Meet the artists, raise a glass with the team, and be part of this important artistic journey.
Program
Ella Milch-Sheriff
Baruchs Schweigen (Baruch's Silence) 2010
Libretto by Yael Ronen
This chamber opera delves into the haunting and deeply personal story of Baruch Milch, exploring the enduring trauma of the Holocaust and its intergenerational impact. Through a non-linear narrative, the opera unveils Baruch’s past, his survival, and the profound silence that affects his relationship with his daughter. The story oscillates between memory and reality, portraying the horrors of war, the loss of his first family, and the burden of unspoken history. The opera culminates in an emotional resolution as Baruch’s daughter confronts the silence and seeks understanding.
Composer
Ella Milch-Sheriff is one of Israel’s most prominent and internationally performed contemporary composers. Her works span opera, orchestral, vocal, and chamber music, often exploring personal and historical narratives such as Holocaust memory, identity, and social conflict. She has collaborated with leading orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and numerous international opera houses.
Milch-Sheriff’s music is marked by emotional intensity and theatrical expression, blending classical tradition with modern language. Her compositions have been featured in major festivals and received prestigious awards, including the ACUM Prize for Lifetime Achievement and the Rosenblum Prize for the Performing Arts. Her operas, such as Baruchs Schweigen, The Banality of Love, and And the Rat Laughed, have earned acclaim for their artistic power and social relevance.
She is published by Edition Peters and the Israel Music Institute, and continues to be a vital voice in shaping Israeli and international contemporary music.
Creators
Yulia Petrachuk
Producer and art-director of Lyrica Classic
Renowned for her dynamic presence in the classical music realm, Yulia Petrachuk is a Russian-American operatic soprano, an esteemed producer, and the creative force behind Lyrica Classic Entertainment. She takes pride in her role as the artistic director and producer of the notable contemporary classical music festival "Spread New Music to the World" and the innovative "Muffled Voices Festival," which showcases contemporary opera by female composers.
An alumna with honors from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia and the Bern University of the Arts in Switzerland, Petrachuk made her international debut in 2010 at the Bern State Theatre with her performance in Prokofiev's "The Love for Three Oranges." Her artistic journey has led her to perform in prestigious venues across the globe, including Theater Biel, Ash Lawn Opera Festival, Dicapo Opera Theater and Carnegie Hall in New York, Opera Camerata in Washington, D.C., Smetana Hall in Prague, Musikverein and Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, among many others.
Petrachuk's repertoire of lyric soprano extends beyond the traditional, delving into contemporary opera and vocal music of the 20th and 21st centuries, with her repertoire featuring world and continental premieres. Notable performances include Vitaly Hubarenko's mono-opera "The Love Letters" and the soprano solo in Emmanuel Dubois's "Requiem for the Fallen" at Carnegie Hall, the titular role in a mono-opera adaptation of Strauss's "Elektra" by Richard Duenser in Austria and Germany, and Volkonskaya in Tatiana Chudova's chamber opera at Moscow International House of Music.
With a passion for elevating lesser-known music, Petrachuk founded Maryland-based nonprofit organization Lyrica Classic Entertainment, quickly receiving international acclaim for its superior music presentations. The company has made significant contributions to the arts, showcasing new and undiscovered works at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kauffman Music Center, the Strathmore Hall, the Congress Hall in Graz, the Moscow Catholic Cathedral and International House of Music.
Lyrica Classic's Spread New Music to the World festival gained recognition in 2023, having been nominated for "Best Project of the Year" by the International and European Association 2022 — a testament to Yulia Petrachuk’s impactful leadership and dedication to the arts.
In 2024, Yulia served as executive producer of the Muffled Voices Festival, highlighting the contributions of women composers in classical music. The festival was named a finalist for the International & European Association Award in the category of Best New Event and became the winner of the Global Recognition Award 2024 for its outstanding contribution to the global classical music scene, particularly in promoting underrepresented voices.
Executive producer
Yulia Petrachuk
Daiana Hoffmann
Conductor
Born in St. Petersburg, Daiana Hoffmann graduated with honors from the Music College at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (class of Distinguished Artist of Russia, Prof. Boris Abalyan). From 2011 to 2013, she studied choral conducting at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Prof. Boris Tevlin. In 2015, she earned her bachelor’s degree in symphonic conducting from the Academy of Music in Belgrade, Serbia, where she studied with Prof. Bojan Suđić on a state scholarship awarded in 2013. She is currently advancing her studies in opera and symphonic conducting at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Assoc. Prof. Stanislav Dyachenko.
Daiana has participated in master classes with notable musicians, including Vladimir Ponkin, Dmitry Bashkirov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Jurowski, Ronald Zollman, Josef Doller, and Slawek Wrublewski. She has conducted the Belgrade Radio and Television Orchestra, the Belgrade Academy Student Symphony, the Moscow Conservatory Concert Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory Opera Theater. In addition to conducting, she actively performs as a pianist and singer, having won the international piano competition in Niš, Serbia.
Daiana is also the founder, artistic director, and conductor of the Moscow Youth Chamber Orchestra, with which she performs at renowned venues in Moscow, including the Great Hall and Rachmaninoff Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
Since 2024, Daiana has been a key artistic partner of the U.S.-based nonprofit Lyrica Classic Entertainment, leading several groundbreaking international projects.
Conductor
Daiana Hoffmann
Elizavrta Korneeva
Stage director
Elizaveta collaborates with the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, the independent Moscow-based company Montecchi vs Opera, the Moscow International House of Music, the Helikon-Opera Theatre, the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre (within the framework of a festival), the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia (within the framework of a festival), the State Opera of Hanover (Germany), and the Grand Théâtre de Genève (Switzerland). She is also a recurring collaborator with Lyrica Classic, an international organization dedicated to the promotion of contemporary classical music.
She was a nominee for the Golden Mask National Theatre Award in 2022, as well as for the Onegin Opera Award, and is the winner of three nationwide competitions for young directors organized by the Russian Cultural Foundation. She won the 4th International Competition for Young Opera Directors Nano-Opera, held by Dmitry Bertman, and participated in the Creative Laboratory for Young Directors under the leadership of Alexander Petrov.
In 2021, Elizaveta collaborated with the State Opera of Hanover (Germany) and the Grand Théâtre de Genève (Switzerland).
She regularly works with the independent theatre company Montecchi vs Opera and serves as stage director of the Russian Opera Festival in Taltsy (Irkutsk).
Currently, she is working on new productions at the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Helikon-Opera, and the Mariinsky Theatre.
Stage director
Elizaveta Korneeva
Julia Orlova
Set Designer
Julia Orlova is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of theatre, opera, film, video art, performance, fashion, and 3D concept design. With a background in graphic arts and art history, she brings a deeply visual, conceptual, and emotionally charged language to each project. A graduate of the Moscow University of Printing Arts and the Russian State University for the Humanities, she further specialized at the Moscow Film School in art direction and contemporary cinema.
Julia integrates scenography, video art, and dramaturgy into a unified visual dramaturgy that treats space, rhythm, image, and movement as interdependent elements. Her approach emphasizes atmosphere as narrative — creating immersive environments where silence, texture, and light hold as much expressive power as words.
Her creative process is rooted in collaboration, working closely with directors and choreographers to shape space in tandem with movement and emotional intention. Her fascination with the body's memory, rhythm, and vulnerability drives her exploration of physical storytelling.
Technically fluent in 3D modeling and digital concept design, she develops detailed virtual environments to prototype mise-en-scène and test spatial interactions in real time — creating a dynamic feedback loop between visual form and performance from the earliest development stages.
Nature — vast, indifferent, and sublime — is central to her artistic world. A devoted hiker and traveler, Julia infuses her designs with the rhythms and geometries of the natural world: the silence of open plains, the geometry of mountains, the trace of wind. These sensorial impressions are translated into the emotional architecture of her work.
Her projects have been presented at leading venues including the Diaghilev Festival, Alexandrinsky Theatre, Kolobov Novaya Opera, Zaryadye Hall, Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the Zotov Centre. Her opera and performance designs for Persephone and De Temporum Fine Comœdia have received multiple Golden Mask Award nominations and critical acclaim. In the fields of film and fashion, her visuals have been recognized at the Berlin Fashion Film Festival, ESMoA Video Art + Film Festival, and BODYSCOPE Festival.
Marked by early childhood experiences of silence and emotional sensitivity, Julia’s work is shaped by a desire to transcend language — to create poetic, transformative spaces where perception slows, deepens, and expands. She continues to explore the thresholds between disciplines and consciousness, building living structures of image, motion, and emotion — spaces of reflection, vulnerability, and radical presence.
Set Designer
Julia Orlova
Cast
Jonathan Patton
Baritone
Jonathan Patton, praised for his “crystal-clear voice” and “strong stage presence,” is making his mark in the opera world with a wide-ranging repertoire that spans both classical and contemporary works. A native of Durango, Colorado, he recently completed his third season as a Cafritz Young Artist with Washington National Opera. This summer, Jonathan joins Wolf Trap Opera as a Filene Artist performing Le Marquis in their new production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites.
During his time with WNO, Jonathan appeared in eleven productions. Notable performances include the title role in Mason Bates’s The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs in the company’s young artist performance, Marcello in La bohème, and Macbeth in the Look-In performance of Verdi’s Macbeth. He also created the role of Austin in Cry, Wolf by JL Marlor and Claire Fuyuko Bierman for WNO’s annual American Opera Initiative.
On the concert stage, he made his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra as Montano in Verdi’s Otello, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in Fauré’s Requiem with MidAmerica Productions.
Beyond Washington, he has performed with Opera Southwest, Festival Napa Valley, Des Moines Metro Opera, and The Glimmerglass Festival, where The Wall Street Journal praised his Martin in Bernstein’s Candide as a “big-voiced standout.” In summer 2024, he returned to Glimmerglass to cover John Cree in Kevin Puts’s Elizabeth Cree and to debut as Silvio in a new production of Pagliacci.
Jonathan is a winner of the Lewisville Lake International Voice Competition and a 2024 semifinalist in the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. He holds a Master of Music from the University of New Mexico and a Graduate Artist Certificate from the University of North Texas.
Vater
Jonathan Patton
Yulia Petrachuk
Soprano
Russian-American soprano Yulia Petrachuk studied at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and is a graduate of Bern Opera Studio in Bern, Switzerland.
Her debut as a professional opera singer was with the State Theater Bern, Switzerland, in 2010. After that, she performed with many other recognized opera companies and concert venues such as Theater Biel (Switzerland), Ash Lawn Opera Festival (US), Opera Ischia (Italy), Dicapo Opera Theater in New York (US), Great Moscow Hall (Russia), Vocal Productions NYC (US), Nova and Opera Camerata in Washington, D.C. (US), Smetana Hall in Prague (Czech Republic), Carnegie Hall in New York (US), Musikverein and Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna (Austria), and many others. Yulia specializes in contemporary opera and other forms of vocal music of the 20th and 21st centuries. She has performed many World and US premieres.
Out of her passion and drive to sustain and give lesser-known and unknown music a voice, Yulia Petrachuk founded Lyrica Classic Entertainment as a sounding beacon to deliver a superior-level presentation of music. Yulia has robust experience in international performing arts projects, execution, and collaborations in the US and EU.
Mutter
Yulia Petrachuk
Hermine Haselböck
mezzo-soprano
Austrian mezzo-soprano Hermine Haselböck has earned international acclaim for her versatility on both the opera and concert stage. She has appeared at renowned houses and festivals, including the Vienna State Opera, Volksoper Wien, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Salzburg Festival, and Styriarte Graz, performing roles ranging from the classical to the contemporary repertoire. As a concert soloist, she has collaborated with leading ensembles such as the Vienna Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony, and Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, under the direction of conductors including Christian Thielemann, Zubin Mehta, Franz Welser-Möst, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
Beyond opera and symphonic engagements, Haselböck is highly regarded as a Lieder interpreter, with recital appearances across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Her discography reflects her broad artistic range, spanning works from Mahler and Wagner to rarely performed treasures of Austrian repertoire. A dedicated champion of contemporary music, she has premiered new works by living composers and continues to expand the mezzo-soprano canon with her artistic curiosity.
Tochter
Hermine Haselböck
Pelageya Kurennaya
Soprano
Pelageya Kurennaya is a distinguished Russian soprano and guest soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre. A graduate of the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory (class of Tamara Novichenko), she made her Mariinsky debut in 2015 as Chloë (Prilepa) in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades.
Pelageya's international career began in 2014 with her European debut in the same role under the baton of Mariss Jansons at Gasteig Hall in Munich and the Luxembourg Philharmonic. In 2016, she reprised the role for the Dutch National Opera’s premiere of The Queen of Spades in Amsterdam. Her concert appearances include a performance of Stravinsky’s vocal cycle at Gasteig with pianist Mikhail Mogilevsky and a recital series in Mikkeli, Finland, with pianist Marita Viitasalo.
In 2018, Pelageya made her American debut singing the soprano solo in Rachmaninoff’s The Bells under Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu at Powell Hall, St. Louis, and also performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in Helsinki. She appeared as Katya in Alexander Raskatov’s Eclipse at the Montreux Festival in 2019 and gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of Lolita in Rodion Shchedrin’s opera Lolita, with performances in Prague (National Opera), at the Mariinsky Theatre (2020), and the Bolshoi Theatre (2021) under Valery Gergiev. Her role as Lolita earned her a nomination for the Golden Mask Award (2019/2020).
Pelageya continued to expand her repertoire with a performance as Corinna in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims at Teatro Rossini (Accademia Rossiniana Alberto Zedda), and as Despina in Così fan tutte at the Prague National Theatre (2022). She also sang Fanny in Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio at the Royal Opera House Muscat, and in 2023 covered the role of Marfa in The Tsar’s Bride at Teatro Regio di Torino.
In 2024, she debuted in the Muffled Voices Festival with the role of Little Zegner in the Russian premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s opera Proving Up at Helikon Opera in Moscow and the Boris Eifman Dance Academy Theatre in St. Petersburg. In 2025, she appeared at the Mariinsky Theatre in the premiere of Mandragora, a new opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Pavel Dranga.
Geist / Erste Frau / Mädchen B.
Pelageya Kurennaya
Alexandra Wiebe
Soprano
Soprano Alexandra Wiebe is quickly gaining recognition for her compelling stage presence and vocal versatility. Recent performances include standout roles such as the Foreign Princess and Ježibaba in Rusalka: The Littlest Mermaid, Matilde in Matilde, Nedda in Pagliacci, Madame Pompous in Too Many Sopranos, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.
In the upcoming season, Alexandra joins Central City Opera as an Apprentice Artist, covering the role of Wife 1 in the regional premiere of Aleksandra Vrebalov’s The Knock. She will also appear as Gutrune in the Wagner in Vermont Festival’s ambitious presentation of the Ring Cycle.
This past season, she was in residence with Cedar Rapids Opera, serving as both a Smith Young Artist and an Artist-in-Residence with their Lift Every Voice outreach program.
A laureate of numerous competitions, Alexandra has received honors from the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, The American Prize, Musicians Club of Women, Music Grand Prix International, the National Opera Association, and Classical Singer International.
Her favorite past operatic roles include Giunone (La Calisto), Elle (La voix humaine), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), and Lady Billows (Albert Herring).
An active recitalist, Alexandra has appeared with organizations such as The Cleveland Opera, Boston Singers’ Resource, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Musicians Club of Women, and Opera Mississippi.
She holds degrees from Northwestern University and the New England Conservatory.
Geist / Grossmutter / Frau B.
Alexandra Wiebe
Kyle van Schoonhoven
Tenor
American tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven, a Grand Finals winner of the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council competition, is a Wagnerian star on the rise. Praised by the New York Times as a heldentenor with a “steady, burnished sound” and by the Bay Area Reporter for “his clarion Wagnerian power.” Of a concert performance with the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Chronicle raved: “the title character’s prayer from the final act of Wagner’s Rienzi elicited a gleaming, potent performance from tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven, marked by suave phrasing and tonal freshness.”
Mr. van Schoonhoven’s most recent engagements include performances of Tchekalinsky (while covering Ghermann) in The Queen of Spades with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with Cincinnati Opera, the title role in Act III of Siegfried with the New York Repertory Orchestra, and Lensky in Eugene Onegin with Livermore Valley Opera. Van Schoonhoven was scheduled to make his Metropolitan Opera debut in Tristan und Isolde, sing his first performances of Erik in The Flying Dutchman for Opera Maine, and return to Lyric Opera of Chicago in Samson et Dalila, but unfortunately all of these engagements were cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19.
He joins the Metropolitan Opera in the 2021/2022 season for Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice, makes his debut with Opera de Rouen as Laca in Jenufa and returns to the Buffalo Philharmonic for Songs of a Wayfarer, and to perform the role of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. He also will perform the role of Don José in Carmen with Hawaii Opera Theatre, in February of 2022.
Notable highlights of previous seasons include van Schoonhoven’s debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic as Don José in Carmen, the role of Hades in Julian Wachner’s Rev. 23 with the Prototype Festival, and Rodolfo in La bohème with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. During his two year tenure with the prestigious Adler Fellowship Program at San Francisco Opera, van Schoonhoven made his company debut as the Young Servant in Elektra, as well as covered Froh in Das Rheingold, Siegmund in Die Walküre, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Aegisth in Elektra, and in It’s a Wonderful Life, he covered both George Bailey and Uncle Billy.
Kyle van Schoonhoven is the recipient of a 2019 George London award, has received the Nicolai Gedda Memorial Award, and was a finalist in the 2016 Jensen Foundation Voice Competition. Additional repertory includes the title role in Chandler Carter’s Bobby, Alfredo in La Traviata, Hoffmann in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oronte in Alcina, Peter Fallow in Stefania de Kenessey’s Bonfire of the Vanities, and Genaro in the US Russian language premiere cast of Prokofiev’s Maddalena. van Schoonhoven holds a Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College as well as a Bachelor of Music from Fredonia School of Music.
Geist / Bruder
Kyle Van Schoonhoven
Andrew Boisvert
Bass
Praised for his “thundering” presence by San Diego Story and “deep warmth” by The Rutland Herald, American bass Andrew Boisvert brings compelling power and nuance to his performance roles. Equally at home as authority figures, villains, or antiheroes, he has excelled in key roles such as Frank Maurrant (Street Scene), Olin Blitch (Susannah), Sam (Trouble in Tahiti), and the Unnamed Bass (Too Many Sopranos).
He holds a Master of Music from the University of Maryland’s Opera Studio and a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the University of Hartford. Boisvert’s recent highlights include performances as the Bass Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Tosca, and Die Fledermaus, as well as world premieres with companies such as Cedar Rapids Opera, Bel Cantanti Opera, and Sarasota Opera.
In the 2025–2026 season, Andrew will make his debut with the Muffled Voices Festival at the Maryland Theatre, performing in the U.S. premiere of Ella Milch-Sheriff’s opera Baruch’s Silence.
Geist / Russischer Offizier / Herr B.
Andrew Boisvert
Kiril French
boy soprano
Kiril French is an emerging performer with a strong background in both musical theatre and classical voice. He has appeared in numerous stage productions, including lead and featured roles in community and regional theatres. In 2024, he was nominated as Best Performer in a Musical (Non-Professional) by BroadwayWorld DC for his performance of Charlie Bucket.
In addition to theatre, Kiril studies voice, piano, and music theory with private instructors and regularly performs in concerts, contests, and festivals. He is also active as a volunteer performer in retirement homes and community centers, sings for charity events, and serves as a counselor-in-training for theater summer camps.
In 2025, Kiril will make his opera debut in the U.S. premiere of Baruch’s Schweigen (Baruch’s Silence) at the Maryland Theatre as part of the Muffled Voices Festival.
Kind Geist / Sohn / Bruders Sohn.
Kiril French
Ivan Markov
Bass-baritone
Ivan Markov graduated from the Musical Theatre Faculty of GITIS (workshop of Georgy Isaakyan, 2017) and the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Singing Center.
From 2017 to 2023, he was a soloist with the Natalia Sats Children's Musical Theater, performing leading bass and baritone roles.
He has appeared on the stages of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, Stanislavsky Electrotheatre, Moscow International House of Music, and the Moscow Conservatory.
Some of the roles performed by Ivan Markov include: Marcello and Schaunard (La Bohème by G. Puccini), Ceprano (Rigoletto by G. Verdi), Prudence (The Play of Soul and Body by E. Cavalieri), Mag Chelio (The Love for Three Oranges by S. Prokofiev), and the Witch (Hansel and Gretel by E. Humperdinck).
Since 2019, he has been a soloist with the independent theater project Montecchi VS Opera, performing the role of Lorenzo in Vincenzo Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi in a production directed by Elizaveta Korneeva, and the role of Robert Peary in the Russian premiere of Facing South by Canadian composer Linda Smith.
Since 2023, he has collaborated with the ensembles Questa Musica (artistic director: Philipp Chizhevsky) and Intrada (artistic director: Ekaterina Antonenko), and has participated in multimedia performances to music by Nikolay Popov, staged by Yury Kvyatkovsky.
Since 2024, he has been a soloist with the A. A. Yurlov State Academic Choir of Russia.
Geist / Russischer Offizier / Herr B.
Ivan Markov (cover)