Quintet’s skill resonates at new Samueli Theater

Five gifted singers -- budding opera stars, if you will -- members of the St. Petersburg-based Academy of Young Singers of the Mariinsky Theatre, showcased their talents Monday night at the new Samueli Theater at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

These accomplished vocalists, all on the roster of the Kirov Opera, gave a generous program, first of Russian arias and songs, then of French and Italian arias. The new, handsome, 500-seat Samueli rang with healthy voices, committed artistry, dramatic presentation and pointed emotionalism. Resonance was the order of the evening.

Larisa Gergieva, artistic director of the academy and mentor to the talented quintet, presided over this well-wrought program. Gergieva’s bio claims she is one of the leading vocal accompanists in the world, and that turns out to be the simple truth. Her leadership is stunning, her pianism flawless; she shapes every phrase sensitively, and she supports her singers selflessly. She is a musical dynamo.

Equally accomplished, two sopranos held our interest in emotional but controlled performances. Victoria Yastrebova demonstrated virtuosic singing in two Italian arias and in songs by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Irina Mataeva sang two touching duets with mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, then brought power and drama to Iolanta’s aria from Tchaikovsky’s opera.

Semenchuk’s extraordinary artistry and powerful voice made the most of an aria from Taneev’s “The Oresteia” and in songs by Gavrilin and Verstovsky. Tenor Daniil Shtoda, the only singer here who has already performed in Southern California, brought a passionate enthusiasm to four arias. And basso Methodie Buzhor thrilled the cheering audience in four arias, but especially in Aleko’s cavatina from Rachmaninoff’s opera.

This was only the second event -- Sheryl Crow appeared there Saturday -- in the airy, well-appointed Samueli, a gracious new space in the now-complete Performing Arts Center.