Vasilisa Berzhanskaya and Dmitry Korchak in Norma / Photo: Roberto Ricci
Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, who cements her reversion back to soprano after having sung Adalgisa just last summer, appears here in a performance recorded in Parma a few weeks ago. The Times, however, recently reported a long-circulated rumor (denied by Berzhanskaya) that the soprano has been “romantically linked with Mikhail Simonyan, a violinist and conductor who has performed for soldiers in Russian-held territory in eastern Ukraine.” One wonders how Berzhanskaya managed to skirt Peter Gelb’s Russian artist embargo to make her Met debut last season.
Her Pollione, tenor Dmitry Korchak, is similarly implicated: according to Opern.News, Korchak recently counter-sued the Wiener Staatsoper for the cancellation of a contract over the accusation that he has appeared multiple times in Russian Government-organized concerts as well as directly benefitted from government funds for artists. Korchak, who has also recently expanded his duties to include conducting, prevailed in his suit against the Staatsoper and sang as Ernesto in Don Pasquale there last week.
Bellini: Norma, “In mia man alfin tu sei”
Vasilisa Berzhanskaya
Dmitry Korchak
Teatro Regio di Parma
February 2026
In-house
