Duet Azure
Ekaterina Kotcherguina and Jessica Nilles Kressin began collaborating while they were both pursuing Master’s degrees at the University of Oklahoma. Both were involved with the opera program at the university and quickly became friends.
The two eventually crossed paths again when they each moved to Colorado and studied at the University of Colorado Boulder - Kotcherguina pursuing a performer’s certificate and Kressin a doctorate. After several years of collaborating, they have finally come together as Duet Azure. |
Duet Azure has performed in a variety of locations in Colorado and also internationally. The duo was accepted into the Concours international de musique de chambre de Lyon in France and competed there this past spring. They are hopeful for more international opportunities, having just applied for the Nadia and Lili Boulanger International Voice-Piano Competition, which is held in Paris, France.
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The Musicians
Ekaterina Kotcherguina, Soprano Praised for her “fresh and exuberant” stage presence by the Daily Camera, Russian soprano Ekaterina Kotcherguina is a flexible performer, equally compelling when portraying light-hearted damsels or tragic heroines. She holds an affinity for music of the Baroque and Classical period and particularly enjoys singing innovative interpretations of the Baroque repertoire. Her 2019-2020 season includes a performances of Messiah with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra and the Boulder Messiah Sing Along, Donna Elvira in Denver Immersive Opera’s production of Giovanna’s as well as the regional premiere of Here Be Sirens, concerts with the Boulder Bach Festival, as well as numerous chamber concerts with Duo Azure. Recent performances include Messiah with the Hot Springs Music Festival, Schubert’s Mass in G Major with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, concerts with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Boulder Opera Company, Seicento Baroque Ensemble, Boulder Bach Festival, Boulder Fine Tuned Society, the Arkansas Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as chamber and solo recitals in Colorado, Arkansas, and Russia. Winner of the 2017 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition, Ms. Kotcherguina received her Performance Certificate in Opera and Solo Vocal Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder, and her Masters of Music degree from the University of Oklahoma. Her training includes Music Academy of the West, OperaWorks - Advanced Artists Program, London Summer School of Voice, and the Up North Vocal Institute. This year, Ms. Kotcherguina placed at the West Central NATSAA regional competition, and was selected to compete in the 15th Concours International de Musique de Chambre de Lyon, and the IX International Competition of Opera Singers in St. Petersburg. |
Jessica Nilles Kressin, Piano
Jessica Nilles Kressin, a native of Webster City, Iowa, is a doctoral candidate pursuing a degree in Piano Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder. She currently studies with Dr. Andrew Cooperstock and regularly gives performances in the greater Denver area. As a soloist, Kressin recently performed Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major with the Wartburg Community Symphony. She also performed works of Beethoven in Eisenstadt, Austria, in venues including the Esterházy Palace. She is especially passionate about French music of composers like Debussy and Ravel, and she is also an advocate of new music. Collaborative performances have also been an important addition to Jessica's musicianship. She recently was a semi-finalist in the Boulder International Chamber Music Competition: The Art of Duo, along with cellist Trevor Minton. She has extensive experience as an opera rehearsal pianist and coach, currently serving as music director and pianist at Denver Immersive Opera. Kressin frequently collaborates with singers at Opera on Tap events around the Denver area as well. In the past, she worked with Cimarron Opera in Oklahoma, the opera department at the University of Oklahoma, and the voice department at Wartburg College. Kressin is also an active teacher and is an instructor at Neighborhood Music Stapleton. She served on faculty at Wartburg College for the 2016-2017 academic year as a sabbatical replacement and adjudicated several IMTA events throughout that year, including IMTA district auditions. Jessica has also taught group piano and applied piano at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Oklahoma and taught elementary, middle school, and high school students as a Tower School piano instructor at Wartburg College. Jessica also holds degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma and Piano Performance from Wartburg College and has studied with Dr. Jane Magrath and Dr. Suzanne Torkelson. She plans on maintaining an active solo and collaborative performance schedule as a doctoral student, while working toward the goal of teaching in higher education. |