Maria Goundorina

Maria Goundorina (Russia) has been interested in choral music from a young age, ever since she began singing in a children’s choir at the age of seven. This choir later developed into a school for choir singers. She studied choral conducting with, among others, Anders Eby and Cecilia Rydinger Alin at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and at the University of Vienna. Maria graduated in choral conducting in the spring of 2008. During her studies, Maria managed to both sing in and lead several prominent ensembles in Germany, Russia and Sweden, as well as to participate in most conductor competitions. She also teaches choral conducting and singing and Russian music in courses in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Maria began her music studies at the Ippolitov-Ivanov Academy of Music and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with Boris Tevlin. After graduating from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Maria spent a few years in Austria, where she became one of the finalists in the Vienna Competition for Young Choir Conductors. This competition earned the award for “Best Interpretation of a Romantic Work”. Maria was awarded an Eric Ericson’s travel scholarship, and was one of the finalists in the international Eric Ericson conductor competition in 2009.