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Support for the Arts

As its first major “arts project,” Serendipity was pleased to have been the initiator and a sponsor for Sound of the Sun, an exhibit of paintings, photographs, and ceramics from Vladimir held at Illinois State University in 1998.  This multimedia show was organized by Debra Risberg, MFA, a Bloomington curator of contemporary art. 

Yuri Negodaev, Three Musicians, oil on canvas, 1997

Sound of the Sun was reopened at the College of DuPage from January 4 to February 10, 2001.

As a follow on to the first Fulbright social studies program (see Educational Exchanges), we assisted with bringing a Vladimir art teacher to Illinois for a series of workshops in the summer of 2005.

Serendipity has also assisted two Vladimir quilt clubs, lacquer miniaturist painters, a wood carver, and other artists attempting to sell their work to tourists and here in the U.S.

Over the years we have provided assistance to - and enjoyed performances by - a number of Vladimir-area musicians, choral groups, and vocalists.  These have included Misha Loginov, a balalaika virtuoso, and Maria Vlasova, a very talented concert accordionist. The soundtrack for the introductory American Home video features Misha. Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Pope's father, Russell Pope, we were able to set up a revolving loan fund to help with things such as recording demo CDs. The fund was initiated with a loan to Maria when she was attending Moscow's prestigious Gnessin Institute. Her concert accordion had been stolen, and she desperately needed a new instrument. We are currently attempting to arrange a US tour for a very talented Jazz vocalist from Vladimir who first performed at the American Home when she was just 13 years old.  See her brief bio below and click here for more information and photos. We plan on continuing to do what we can when we can to encourage and support the arts in the Vladimir area.

Yuliana Rogacheva

Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition Finalist, July 2010:
Voted most popular performer by the audience of jazz aficionados. 
Awarded second place by the panel of judges headed by Quincy Jones - out of 75 initial entrants

Performing at Montreux

With Quincy Jones

Yuliana began singing seriously at age 7. By the time she turned 8 she was performing children’s songs with a major orchestra.  She fell in love with jazz the first time she heard a recording by Ella Fitzgerald—who to this day remains her favorite singer.  Even though she was just 10 at the time, she decided that she could not live without jazz.

In 2002, after graduating from a specialized music school in her home town of Vladimir several years ahead of the normal schedule, Yuliana was admitted to the State Musical College of Jazz Art in Moscow. In 2006 she completed the College’s program with distinction and enrolled in the Gnessin Institute of Music - with a full scholarship. She is currently in her 5th and final year of study there.

Yuliana has won International competitions in Italy, Turkey, Malta and Bulgaria. In 2008 she received the Russian Young Performer Encouragement Award in Music - Jazz; and in 2009  she won the all-Russia "Fascinated by Jazz" competition.

In 2004 Yuliana attended the Stanford Jazz Workshop with a partial scholarship - and help from American sponsors.  In 2005 she once again attended the Workshop - with a full scholarship.  (She has a standing invitation to return.)

Directly after the 2005 Workshop she performed at several Southern California jazz clubs before appearing on the main youth stage at the San Jose Jazz Festival - where she also has an invitation to return.  Since then she has regularly performed with the top Moscow jazz orchestras and combos.  (See the YouTube links below.)  She in fact recently received a cash prize from the Gnessin Institute in recognition of her performance record.

In January 2010 the online magazine, jazz.ru,published an extended article on her.

After graduating from Gnessin at the end of this coming academic year, Yuliana intends to continue to pursue her love of jazz.

YouTube Videos
Almost like Being in Love  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttoeh-SyEzo (As performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival)
Haunted Ballroom  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejv-dtQqe4g
No More Blues  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upxFwE4OZUM
The Night We Called It a Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwepEav68Ig
Receiving the “Public Prize” at  Montreux   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYfXBWJihpA