Petro Chupryna (born 24 July 1948, Zolotonosha) is a theatre figure, a recognised expert in the field of contemporary opera and ballet art in Ukraine, the permanent General Director of the National Opera since 1999, People's Artist of Ukraine (2003).
He is a full member (academician) of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine (2013).
Career.
Born in Zolotonosha, Cherkasy region. In 1972 he graduated from the Kyiv Conservatory as a double bass player. After graduation, he worked as a double bassist in the State Honoured Academic Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and since 1977 - as the director of this orchestra.
In 1981-1984, he worked in the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of the Mexico City Philharmonic (Mexico). In 1984-1985 he was deputy director of the State Children's Music Theatre. In 1985-1988 - Deputy Head of the Main Department of Culture of the Kyiv City Executive Committee (Head of the Department of Theatres, Concert Organisations and Educational Institutions). In 1988-1991 - instructor of the Department of Culture, consultant on cultural issues of the Kyiv City Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
Candidate of Arts (2005), author of scientific publications, head of the creative team and author of the publishing projects "National Opera of Ukraine. History and Modernity" (2002), "Ballet Theatre of Ukraine" (2004), "National Opera of Ukraine. 2001-2011" (2012), organiser and participant of a number of artistic and theoretical conferences.
Work at the National Opera
Since 1992, he has been working at the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, rising from managing director to general director of the theatre (1999). For 9 years, from 2002 to 2011, he combined the position of general director with the position of artistic director (in 2011, M. Skoryk was appointed artistic director of the National Opera).
P. Chupryna's work as director of the National Opera is assessed ambiguously. Thus, the official website of the National Opera describes the activities of its director as "searching for the most expressive means to integrate the flagship of opera and music art of Ukraine - the National Opera of Ukraine - into the world cultural space", as well as paying "special attention to the preservation, enhancement and enrichment of the national heritage and traditions of opera and ballet art". At the same time, M. Strikha notes that it was Petro Chupryna who "finally abolished the Ukrainian language on the stage of the National Opera" - it was during his tenure that the opera house abandoned highly artistic Ukrainian-language translations of M. Rylsky, B. Ten and other Ukrainian authors of world opera classics.
In 2015, journalists of the Lustrator 7.62 project of Gravis-Kino LLC, in the course of a journalistic investigation, revealed significant financial abuse in the activities of the National Opera's management, which led to the opening of a criminal investigation by the Prosecutor's Office of the Shevchenkivskyi District of Kyiv. There is also the testimony of the artist Oksana Openko that "on the day of the shootings on the Maidan, they were performing Stravinsky's Petrushka, when all the capital's theatres were closed, and our Opera House was having fun. There were a maximum of 100 people in the hall, but the management decided to hold the performance anyway."
In 2017, after the amendments to the legislation came into force, which provided for the transfer of artists to contractual work, P. Chupryna's unwillingness to listen to the artists' wishes regarding working conditions and the dismissal of 16 theatre employees led to unprecedented protests, including an address to the public during the intermissions of one of the performances on 22 February and a picket outside the Ministry of Culture on 28 February 2017.
However, the incidents did not prevent P. Chupryna from winning the competition for the position of the theatre's director general in 2018.
Awards.
The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, III class (22 January 2022) - for significant personal contribution to state-building, socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian state, strengthening of Ukraine's international authority, significant labour achievements, and many years of conscientious work
The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, IV class (27 June 2018) - for significant personal contribution to state-building, socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of Ukraine, significant labour achievements and high professionalism
The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V Class (21 August 2015) - for significant personal contribution to state-building, consolidation of Ukrainian society, socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of Ukraine, active public activity, significant labour achievements and high professionalism
Order of Merit, I (2008)[16], II (2006) and III (2001) degrees
People's Artist of Ukraine (2003)
Honoured Artist of Ukraine (1994)
Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (1998)
Diploma of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (2001)
Order of Friendship (Russia, 14 October 2012) - for his great contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation, popularisation and development of Russian culture abroad
Chevalier (2003) and Commander (2009) of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
Order of Honour (Georgia, 2007)
Gold Medal of the National Academy of Music of Ukraine (2009)
Badge of Honour of the Mayor of Kyiv (2007)
