The tenor Anatoly Solovyanenko has a speaking surname. He was the "nightingale" of the Soviet opera and the pride of his compatriots. His timbre with powerful "golden" highs and a perfectly flat range, stood out from other tenors of his time. Solovyanenko sang at the Bolshoi Theater, Metropolitan Opera, La Scala. He could live in Italy, but he remained faithful to his native Ukraine forever.
Biography: early years
Anatoly Borisovich Solovyanenko was born on September 25, 1932 in Donetsk. He was the son of a hereditary miner. My father mined coal all his life, but at the same time he had a magnificent dramatic tenor. The genes took their toll, and a beautiful voice was transmitted to Anatoly. He dreamed of becoming a musician, but his parents did not consider it a worthy profession for a man. Father told Anatoly to get a normal education first.
After school, Solovyanenko went to Leningrad, where he tried to enter the conservatory. However, he failed the exams. Anatoly returned to Donetsk and became a student at the Polytechnic Institute. At the same time, he remembered his dream.
While studying at the institute, Solovyanenko found time to study music. He began taking lessons from the famous Ukrainian opera singer Alexander Korobeichenko. It was he who instilled in him an interest in classical opera. Already then Korobeichenko realized that Anatoly could make a good tenor. For ten years, Solovyanenko stubbornly honed his voice under his leadership. These activities were enough for him to become a People's Artist and laureate of several awards.
Career
Anatoly performed for the first time on the "big" stage in the opera house of his native Donetsk. He got the role of the Duke in the production of Rigoletto. The audience celebrated his performance with deafening applause.
In 1962 he was invited to train at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater. A year later, Solovyanenko went to the legendary La Scala. At that time, only the most promising young singers were sent there. It was something like an internship. Anatoly stayed in Milan for two years. During this time, he received an award in the competition "Naples against all". One of his songs entered the 1965 Italian chart.
Returning to his homeland, Anatoly began to tour actively throughout the Union. He also became a soloist at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater.
Soon Solovyanenko was invited to the American Metropolitan Opera. Anatoly became the first Soviet singer to receive an invitation from this famous theater. He performed on his stage for several seasons.
In 1978, Anatoly graduated from the Kiev Conservatory. At this time, he was already a world-class star.
In 1980 he was awarded the Lenin Prize. The tenor donated a monetary reward in the amount of 10 thousand rubles to the peacekeeping organization. It was a lot of money in those days. He himself survived the war and wanted his children not to see it.
In 1995, Anatoly was asked to leave the Kiev theater, in which he performed for 30 years. After leaving, he continued to tour his native Ukraine and the world.
Personal life
Anatoly was married. In marriage, two sons were born: Anatoly and Andrei. The latter went into business and emigrated to Canada. Anatoly has been at the helm of the Kiev Opera House since 2001, where his father performed.
On July 29, 1999, Solovyanenko passed away. The reason for his departure was a heart attack. Buried in the village of Kozino, near Kiev.
