By Victoria Popova
The boy won the national selection round, held on October 4th at the Belarusian TV and Radio Company office. His Sing with Me song earned 18 points as a result of the audience and jury (headed by People’s Artiste Eduard Zaritsky) voting.
Contests are already a routine for Ilya, as he’s already taken part in the Europe’s Vocal Cup, coming second, and the New Wave, where he reached the semi-finals. Last year, he brilliantly danced for the Belarusian Junior Eurovision contestant, Yegor Zheshko. In Amsterdam, contest experts drew special attention to our talented boy, and journalists even asked the Belarusian delegation members, “Where did you find such a wonderful boy?”
Valery Shmat heads the Golden Voices Studio which Ilya attends. He’s never doubted that the boy would do so well, “Ilya studies at the I. Akhremchik Gymnasium-College of Arts, so vocal singing is his profession. Moreover, he is extremely supple. Stability is his key feature. The boy is able to concentrate on the eve of a major performance to demonstrate all his skills. Ilya is truly talented.”
The boy’s mother, Natalia, is also a musician as well, graduating from the Conservatory. At the age of 24, she won the Grand Prix of the Star Scattering TV contest. The woman notes, “What more I can tell you about my son? He is artistic and able to set off a concert hall. Ilya boasts perfect pitch and has a ‘ten’ grade in solfeggio at the Akhremchik school. He is an excellent pupil, and very obedient. We have a friendly family.”
Ilya has no worries about his forthcoming Kiev performance. He asserts confidently, “We’ll win over Ukraine as we all are friendly.” We couldn’t agree more. Ilya’s song is quick-moving, the boy dances well and he is able to attract the audience’s attention. Moreover, wonderful girls dance jointly with him. Let’s wish them all luck!
