Coast-to-Coast Coverage Of Baritone Ilya Silchukou and His Escape From Belarus

Renowned Baritone Ilya Silchukou (alternate spelling: Silchukov) was forced to abandon a lucrative singing career in Belarus for speaking out against its oppressive regime. He’s now rebuilding his music career with his family in suburban Boston, and his remarkable story has attracted international attention owing to an October 9 feature published by the Associated Press titled, “Singer driven from Belarus for speaking out tries to rebuild.”

The finely crafted piece by journalist Mark Pratt has appeared in newspapers and newsfeeds far and wide, among them, The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, and U.S. News & World Report. As summarized by Pratt, “Ilya Silchukou was a cultural icon in his native Belarus, the lead soloist at the State Opera Bolshoi who represented his nation at official government functions at home and abroad and performed at opera houses across Europe. He lived a privileged and comfortable life in his homeland. And he gave it all up. Silchukou dared to speak out against Alexander Lukashenko, who has led the former Soviet republic with an iron fist for nearly three decades.”

Now, following recent recital performances in Boston and New Jersey, Silchukou’s North American singing prospects look promising. According to Pratt, “He recently had an audition with the Boston Lyric Opera and is trying to secure auditions with other opera houses in the U.S., and he’s in negotiations with U.S. agents.”

Read more about Silchukou’s remarkable story in the AP article, “Singer driven from Belarus for speaking out tries to rebuild.” ###

Sound Ways Inc. is a Boston non-profit organization established in 2015 for the advancement and support of exceptional classical musicians, especially those from former Soviet republics, like Silchukou. For additional information, please email Maria Eliseeva, Executive Director of Sound Ways Inc. at info@soundways.net.