Marina Liadova

Orchestra Conductor

Marina Liadova was born in Russia in 1960. She grew up in Moscow and attended Gnessin Music School for talented youth, where she was invited to teach after finishing college. She was only 18. She taught Music theory at that school for 10 years, while working on her Graduate Diploma in Musicology at the same time.

She pioneered a Young Opera Troup, where she created and produced many original shows and commissioned several new operas, including King Matiush by Lev Konov.

After moving to the United States, Marina worked in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as a music teacher at Boyd and Park elementary schools. She directed many memorable "synergy" concerts, which included choral singing, creative movement, theatrical surprises and even 6-foot tall puppets.

When she moved to the Twin Cities, Marina continued to work as a teacher in Roseville, where she conducted the Brimhall International Choir, comprised of singers from 35 countries around the world. She also began collaborating as a Music Director and a pianist with such theaters as Park Square, Lakeshore Players, Theater in the Round and Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company.

Her orchestral studies led her to an esteemed German professor Alexander Vitlin. These studies inspired her to start Lidia Productions. Marina will be creating memorable concerts with a strong focus on Twin Cities musicians. In September 2009 Marina became a new Music Director and Conductor of St. Paul JCC Orchestra. Please visit the JCC website: www.stpauljcc.org.

Lu HAN

Public Relations and Communication Intern

Lu HAN is originally from Hunan province, China. She graduated from SUN Yat-sen University, one of the top universities in China in 2008. With the strong interest in public policy, she came to Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota to continue her masters degree, concentrating on Advanced Policy Analysis.

She has a strong interest in nonprofit management. She joined Lidia Productions as a public relation and communication intern in 2010. She can speak mandarin, Cantonese, English and Chinese. She is also a music lover; she believes music is a universal language and that different people from different cultures can communicate with each other.

Alexia Nompeli

Manager of Operations

Alexia Nompeli was born in Greece and since early age she developed a love for the theatrical arts and a talent for playwriting and directing. Her earliest memories are the plays she wrote, directed and performed in the back yard of her house before family, friends and neighbors. She came to the United States in 1996 and she attended Winona State University where it all began.

She participated as an undergraduate student to WSU's theatrical productions as a crew member doing sound design, stage design and stage management. Her debut as a director came on Spring 1997 with WSU's Productions of "Shakespeare in the Park" where she directed scenes from the play, "The Two Gentlemen of Verona". Alexia casts predominantly amateur actors and helps them develop their own acting techniques. She later joined Rochester and Minneapolis College where she directed, stage managed and performed in various productions. She received a degree in Theater and Communications from Metropolitan State University in 2006 where her final projects included stage management for the Spring production of Tango; she also wrote, directed, performed and produced her very own "When Life Throws You A Curve" a collection of classmates' memoirs from childhood to adulthood. Her latest project included stage managing for The Lakeshore Theater where while working on the musical "She Loves me" she met Marina.

Alexia is currently the resident playwright, stage manager, producer and director of public relations for Lidia Productions.

"Being part of Lidia Productions completes me as an artist, it is a pleasure and an honor to work with Marina and to see the ideas taking form off and on stage. Here, at Lidia Productions we strive to turn our visions, into tradition.-Alexia Nompeli"