Evgeniya Miroshnichenko

Evgheniya Miroshnichenko (Ukrainian: Євгенія Мірошниченко; June 12, 1931 – April 27, 2009) was a Ukrainian opera and chamber singer, internationally famous for her coloratura soprano voice.

She was born in a working-class family in Radyanskoe- a small village in the Vovchank region near Kharkiv. Prior to the Russian Revolution her mother, Susanna (1903–1979), used to sing for the earl Gendrikov’s theater; her father, Semen (1899–1943), was a mechanic and a driver. Semen was a member of tank crew during World War II and was killed during a combat. Because of World War II Miroshnichenko, did not finish her primary school education and in 1943 became a student of a vocational school in Kharkiv where she started to sing in a choir. During her school times she took an active part in amateur theatre, more than usual she was attracted by dancing and singing. During a show of amateur singing in Moscow in 1951, she was noticed by a professor of the Kiev Conservatory and was invited her to study at the conservatory in a class of Professor M. Donec-Tessair. Because of her poor progress in non-musical subjects she failed, but she was re-admitted later. She finished the Kiev Conservatory in 1957 and made her debut in the Kiev Opera Theater as Violetta in the opera “La traviata” of Giuseppe Verdi . In 1961 Miroshnichenko worked in Milan in La Scala under the direction of Elvira del Edalgo [2].

Miroshnichenko's voice was unique in its timbre and vocal range. She was called “the singer everyone must see” on account of her vocal technique and her talent for dramatic acting. [3] She was a lead singer of the Kiev Opera Theater from 1957 to 1998. Miroshnichenko took part in many international and national competitions, she acted in musical films, recorded discs, and gave performances in tours across the United States, Canada and Western Europe.

In 1980, Miroshnichenko became a teacher at the Kiev conservatory, and 1990 she obtained the status of professor of Vocal Studies at the Kiev Conservatory. Many of her students became well-known opera singers in Ukraine and worldwide. [4] Miroshnichenko lived in Kiev. She with involved with charities and teaching. Among her accomplishments are the Foundation of the International Charitable Organizations that has helped in creating the Small Opera Theater in Kiev [2].

Family

• Father - Semen Miroshnichenko (1899 - 1943)
• Mother - Sussanna Miroshnichenko (1903 - 2001)
• Children - sons Igor Shkolniy (1962) and Oleg Miroshnichenko (1964)
• Grandchildren - Evgeniya Shkolna (1985), Anton Miroshnichenko (1986) and Vyacheslav Shkolniy (1987)

Roles

Venus (“Aeneid” Lisenko), Violetta, Gilda (“La traviata ”, “Rigoletto” Verdi), Marpha, Shamahanskyaya czarina (“The Tsar's Bride”, ” The Golden Cockerel.” Rimsky-Korsakov), Rosine (“Le Barbier de Séville” Rossini), Iolan (“Millan” Mayboroda), Lucia (“Lucia di Lammermoor” Donizetti), The Queen of the Night (“The Magic Flute” Mozart)

Prizes and honours

• The International Vocalist contest in Toulouse (1958, the second prize)
• The World Youth Festival in Moscow (1957, a silver medalist)
• Got the rank of the national artist of the USSR
• The Taras Shevchenko State prize of Ukrainian SSR (1972)
• The State prize of the USSR (1981)
• Got the rank of the national hero of Ukraine(2006)
• The rank of the freeman of Kharkiv
• The honorary reword of the president of Ukraine
• The honorary award of Yaroslav Mudrij (2001)

Students

V. Stepova, O. Nagorna, O. Tereshenko, C. Chahoyan, O, Pashuk, O. Kirilovska, I. Zyabchenko, S. Pilkevich, T. Guzun, O.Yarova, T. Hodakova.

Notes

[1] “Miroshnichenko Evgheniya Semenovna”, Leaders of Ukraine, [1] (accessed February 12, 2009)

[2] “Miroshnichenko Evgheniya Semenovna”, Movie-Theater, [2] (accessed February 12, 2009)

[3]. Dmitriy Belov, Mihail Kalnickiy, ”Top singer with strong character”, Kievskie Vedomosti, #131 (2005) [3]> (accessed February 12, 2009)

[4] “Sources to celebrate a jubilee” Region.Library,Kharkov.ua, [4] (accessed February 12, 2009)

[5] About the designation of the name of Hero of Ukraine to E. Miroshnichenko. Law portal of Ukraine. [5] (accessed February 12, 2009)

[6] “Miroshnichenko Evgheniya Semenovna”, Visual dictionary, [6] (accessed February 12, 2009)

References

• “Evgheniya Miroshnichenko”, Umka.com.ua, [7] (accessed February 12, 2009)
• “Miroshnichenko Evgheniya Semenovna”, Ukrainian song, [8] (accessed February 12, 2009)

External links

Photo: “Miroshnichenko Evgheniya Semenovna”, Ukrainian song, [9] (accessed February 12, 2009)