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Maria KyrenkoRussian-American opera and chamber singer (soprano)
Date of Birth: 14.01.1890
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Maria Kurenko
Maria Kurenko was a Russian-American opera and chamber singer (soprano) who gained prominence in the early 20th century. She was born into a merchant family and after completing her law degree at Moscow University, she enrolled in the Moscow Conservatory where she studied solo singing under Umberto Masetti. Kurenko graduated from the conservatory in 1913 with a silver medal. Her debut as a vocalist took place at the Kharkov Opera in the role of Antonida in Mikhail Glinka's "Ivan Susanin."
Opera Career
During the pre-revolutionary years, Kurenko served as a soloist at the Kiev Opera. From 1918 to 1922, she performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and then returned to the Kiev Opera for the 1922-1923 season. However, she had to leave Russia due to political unrest and entered a period of emigration. From 1924 to 1926, Kurenko performed at the Riga Opera.
Life in the United States
Kurenko eventually settled predominantly in the United States, where she continued to pursue her singing career. She performed at opera houses in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. In addition to opera, Kurenko also established herself as a chamber singer, giving concerts in Europe as well. She performed in Helsinki in 1924 accompanied by Leo Funtek, and in Paris in 1926. She also sang in Prague in 1932, among other European cities.
Repertoire
Kurenko's repertoire included a variety of roles, such as Rosina in Gioachino Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," Marfa in "The Tsar's Bride," Snow Maiden in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Snow Maiden," and Volkhova in "Sadko." She also portrayed Marguerite in Charles Gounod's "Faust," Gilda in Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto," Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata," Philine in Ambroise Thomas's "Mignon," Micaela in Georges Bizet's "Carmen," and Lakme in Leo Delibes's "Lakme." Additionally, she performed romances, including works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Frederic Chopin. Kurenko collaborated with notable singers, such as Pyotr Slovtsov, and made recordings on gramophone records until 1955.
