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Ukrainian-American opera singer Renata Babak |
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Orpheus and Lyra, Inc. |
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Biography |
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Renata Babak
(1934 - 2003) |
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Ukrainian opera arias |
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Opera Arias |
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Sound clips |
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Home |
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Photoalbum |
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Reviews |
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Some Opera houses where Renata Babak had performed |
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Click on picture to enlarge |
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Odessa Opera |
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Kyiv Opera |
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La Scala Milan |
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Lviv Opera |
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Mariinsky Opera |
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Latvian Opera |
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Estonian Opera |
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Warszawa Opera |
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Hungary Opera |
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The Bolshoi Opera in Moscow |
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Click on pictures
to enlarge
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Renata Babak on the stage
of the Bolshoi Opera in Moscow |
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Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. |
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The Carnegie Hall in New York |
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George London:"At her best Renata Babak is, in my opinion, one of the supreme operatic artists in the world".
The Washington Post, Joseph McLellan: "Renata Babak has one of the world' s great mezzo-soprano voices, one of the most exciting voices of our time". |
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Renata Babak as Carmen ( Debut at the stage of Kyiv Opera, Ukraine) |
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Renata Babak as Amneris from opera "Aida" at the stage Lviv Opera, Ukraine |
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Renata Babak as Laura from opera La Gioconda at the stage of Odesa Opera, Ukraine |
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Renata Babak at the stage of Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia |
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Renata Babak at the stage of Lithuanian National Opera, Vilnius, Lithuania |
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Renata Babak at the stage of Estonian National Opera ,Tallinn, Estonia. |
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Renata Babak as Ortrud from opera "Lohengrin" with legandary Ukrainian tenor Ivan Kozlovsky at the
stage of Moscow Bolshoi Opera. |
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Web site of Ukrainian tenor Ivan Kozlovsky |
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Renata Babak as Amneris from opera "Aida" (Washington D.C., USA) |
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The Ukrainian-American mezzo-soprano Renata Babak was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. Renata Babak finished Kyiv conservatory in 1961. First she studied at the Rimsky-Korsakov conservatory in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) from 1955-58 with the great mezzo Sofiya Preobrazhenskaya and Professor Kicha, who was the best student of the composer Glazunov. While still a student, Renata Babak was invited and appeared in the 1957-58 season at Leningrad Opera. Main roles were the princess in Dorgomizhsky's opera " The Mermaid" and the countess in Tchaikowsky's opera "The Queen of Spades". Then Renata Babak moved with her famaly to Kyiv and studied at the Tchaikowsky Conservatory in Kyev, Ukraine from 1958-1961. In 1961 after Renata Babak finished Kiev conservatory she was invited to the Kiev Opera, Ukraine and made her debut as Carmen. After Renata Babak was invited to the Lviv Opera, Ukraine where she performed in 1961 and 1962. She sang in the opera's Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza), Gioconda (Laura), Aida (Amneris), Boris Godunov (Marina), and Carmen in the Lviv Opera.
Same time she performed in Odesa Opera, Ukraine, Riga, Latvian National Opera, Vilnius Lithuanian National Opera, Tallinn, Estonian National Opera.
In 1962 Renata Babak entered the demanding Bolshoi Opera Competition in Moscow and was the only one singer-among 160 participants-to be engaged by this theater.
Toti Dal Monte was Renata Babak's coach during the Toti Dal Monte's visit to Moscow Bolshoi Opera in the 60s.
During eleven years with the Bolshoi Opera (1962-1973) Renata Babak's personality and her vivid interpretations of Carmen, Amneris, Eboli, Marina, Marfa (Khovanshcina), Charlotte (Werter), Ortrud (Lohengrin), Azucena, Lubasha (Tsar's Bride), Love (Mazeppa), Olga (Eugene Onegin), Paulina and the countess (Queen of Spades) catapulted the young mezzo into the enviable position of being acclaimed by audiences of Moscow, Kiev, Lvov, Odessa, Riga and Leningrad as well as the music capitals of Hungary, Finland, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy.
In late 1973, her performance of Marfa in the Bolshoi opera production of Khovanshchina at la Scala captivated the auience and the critical Milanese press. The Mussorgsky opera was Renata Babak's final performance with the Bolshoi opera.
After being granted political asylum from Italian authorities, she moved to Canada and later to the United States. Her debut at Carnegie Hall in 1975 was met with enthusiastic reviews.
She had personal concerts in Germany, France, Italy, Canada and USA.. In United States Renata Babak sang roles: Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni, Azuchena in Il Travatore by Verdi, Amneris in Aida, Witch in Hansel and Gretel by Hamperdinck, Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi, Leonora in La Forza del Destino by Verdi, Marfa "Khovanshchina" with Opera orchestra of New York (Eve Queler as music director).
Renata Babak was on stage for 29 years from 1957 to 1986. She gave recitals until 2003, singing in a sweet but powerful and well-controlled voice described by critics as amoung the best in the world.
For 20 years Renata Babak has been Head of the Voice Department of the Washington Consevatory of Music teaching voice, vocal coaching, opera workshop, diction. She made
opera productions: opera "Zaporozhets beyond Denube", opera "Eugene Onegin",
opera "Hensel and Gretel", scenes from opera by American composer Gershvin.
Renata was also teaching in Graduate School, USDA (1991-2001).
She died December 31, 2003. |
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Renata Babak's coach
Toti Dal Monte |
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Web Design by Orpheus and Lyra |
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Ukrainian opera singer Solomiia Krushelnytska |
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Ukrainian legandary opera singer Ivan Kozlovsky |
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Ukrainian opera singer Borys Gmyria |
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Ukrainian opera singer Mykhailo Gryshko |
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Ukrainian-French ballet dancer and the creator of Modern classical ballet - Serge Lifar |
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Ukrainian opera singer Taras Shtonda |
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Orpheus and Lyra |
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