Evgeniy Belyaev Russian lyric tenor Date of Birth: 11.09.1926 Country: Russia

Biography of Evgeny Mikhailovich Belyaev

Evgeny Mikhailovich Belyaev, a Russian lyrical tenor and soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble, was born on September 11, 1926, in the town of Klintsy, which was then part of the Gomel Governorate and is now located in the Bryansk Oblast. Belyaev would later become an honorary citizen of Klintsy.

Even as a schoolboy, Belyaev displayed his vocal talent by winning a singing competition at the Artek pioneer camp, situated on the Black Sea coast. During World War II, he served in the anti-aircraft forces and fought in Czechoslovakia as a junior sergeant in the 93rd Mechanized Brigade under the command of General Colonel Andrei Yeremenko. Belyaev was known to sing during breaks between battles. He completed the war as a sergeant.

After the war, Belyaev graduated from the Gnessin State Musical College. He married and raised two sons, one of whom became a professional pianist. In 1947, Belyaev became a soloist of the Carpathian Military District Song and Dance Ensemble, and in 1952, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Three years later, the young tenor became a soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble, which was led by General Major Boris Alexandrov, the son of the ensemble's founder. Under Boris Alexandrov's guidance, Belyaev recorded numerous songs and performed with the ensemble worldwide, including in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan. During this time, the ensemble mainly performed works by Russian and Soviet composers, as well as Russian and Ukrainian folk songs. The song "Kalinka," written in 1860 by Ivan Larionov, always received special attention and applause from the audience. Belyaev was mentored by renowned vocal teacher Yevgeny Kanger, who worked exclusively with soloists from leading theaters and choral ensembles in the country.

In 1958, Belyaev was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia, followed by the title of People's Artist of Russia in 1960 and People's Artist of the USSR in 1967. During the 1960s, while touring with the ensemble in London, Belyaev gained the nicknames "Russian Nightingale" and "Mr. Kalinka," with the French referring to him as "Monsieur Kalinka."

In 1978, Belyaev received the State Prize of the USSR. After leaving the ensemble, he mainly performed at small chamber concerts in various cities in Russia and, in the 1990s, sang under the auspices of the Russian Concert Agency.

Belyaev passed away on either February 21 or 22, 1994, at the age of 67. He had been experiencing heart problems and was admitted to the Burdenko Military Hospital in Moscow. Belyaev requested to be allowed home for the weekend, and the doctors agreed. Shortly after returning home to Kalininsky Prospect, he died of a heart attack. He was buried in Moscow, at the Novodevichy Cemetery, not far from his colleague, soloist Alexey Sergeev. Belyaev was an outstanding lyrical tenor who did not receive the worldwide recognition he deserved, likely due to his career peaking during the height of the Cold War. Furthermore, he became famous primarily as a soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble, and it is quite possible that he would have achieved more if he had pursued a career on the international opera stage.

In April 2007, as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Klintsy, it was decided to install a bust of Belyaev in the town, created by sculptor A. Smirnov. In February 2008, a local music school was named after him.