Ukrainian pop singer (tenor), composer, People's Artist of Ukraine (2002).
Biography
Stepan Giga was born on November 16, 1959 in the village of Bilky in Transcarpathia. When he studied at a secondary school, he took vocal and bayan lessons from a local music teacher Mykhailo Kopynets. However, he entered the Uzhhorod Music School only on the fourth attempt: after the 8th, 9th and 10th grades, he failed to become a student. Therefore, after completing ten years, he went to work as a mechanic for local agricultural machinery, and later - as a truck driver. From there he entered the army, and two years later, after returning from the army, Stepan finally became a student of the Uzhhorod Music School.
Stepan Giga was a member of the ensemble "Green Carpathians" from the 7th grade until he graduated from the music school, and later became the leader of this group. "It was in the Green Carpathians that I was formed as a musician," says Stepan Giga, "here I met professional music for the first time and learned to play all musical instruments."
Stepan Giga studied at the Uzhgorod School of Music for only three years (1980-1983) instead of four - he passed external exams, and in the same year 1983 he entered the Kyiv Conservatory at the vocal faculty, where he studied in the class of professor, head of the department, People's Artist of Ukraine Kostyantyn Ognevoi.
While studying at the conservatory, Stepan Giga received a special permit from the Ministry of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR to freely attend the educational process. This freed him from lectures and seminars, but not from exams and tests. Although this free time allowed me to participate and win in more than ten different competitions and festivals.
In the second year of the conservatory, Stepan Giga became the soloist of the then extremely popular synthesis group "Stozhary" (with the Chernihiv Philharmonic), at the same time he worked as a soloist of the opera studio of the Kyiv Conservatory, which was directed by People's Artist of the USSR Dmytro Hnatyuk.
After graduating from the conservatory, the musician received a referral to work as a soloist of the National Opera, but after weighing all the pros and cons, Stepan refused. It was because of this that he managed to get a diploma of graduation from a higher institution only six months later. At this time, he receives several offers for further work, including from the Volyn Philharmonic, where the Rendezvous group was created especially for him. However, he refuses and returns to his native Transcarpathia - and in 1988 he becomes a soloist of the Transcarpathian Regional Philharmonic. A year later, Stepan Giga created the jazz-rock group "Beskid".
In 1991, when this band was disbanded, Stepan Giga was left without a job. It was then that he first tried arranging, started writing songs, and later created his own recording studio "GIGARecords".
In 1995, the singer's first solo album "My Friends" was released. Later, two more appeared: "Natalie Street" and "Roses for you".
The album "Natali Street" (published by the Kalush recording studio "6 Seconds") became fateful for Stepan - in 2002, the circulation reached one million sold copies. And as a result, Stepan Giga was the first in independent Ukraine to receive the Golden Disc.
On February 20, 1998, he became an honored artist of Ukraine, and four years later, on December 28, 2002, he received the title of People's Artist of Ukraine.
In 10 years, Stepan Giga released three solo albums, two video cassettes with clips ("Druzi moyo" and "Natalie Street"), another video cassette - with the award of the Golden Disc. On November 17, 2005, the presentation of the first double DVD singer in Ukraine took place in Ivano-Frankivsk. On two discs (I - "Natali Street", II - "Roses for You") - a version of the "live" concerts of the all-Ukrainian tour, which took place the day before in support of the new album "Roses for You".
In 1989, the band "Druzi moyo" (artistic director Pavlo Petrenko) was created, with which Stepan Giga works until now.
A few years ago, on the basis of the GIGARecords studio, the singer created the Stepan Giga Art Agency, where young performers are trained. "I don't produce these children," says Stepan Giga, "but I try to teach them, record their first songs, help them get on their feet. And, what is very important, I give the opportunity to perform next to me on the big stage."
For services to the Ukrainian people and for the development of Ukrainian culture, in 2002, Stepan Giga was awarded the Gold Order of Prince Konstantin Ostrohsky, 1st degree, in November 2005, he received the Silver Order of Andrew the First-Called, 2nd degree, and a few months later, in January 2006, he was awarded Golden Order of Andrew the First-Called 1st degree.
Stepan Giga is married and has two children. Wife Halyna is a former administrator of the Transcarpathian Philharmonic, now she is the director of the GIGARecords recording studio. Daughter Kvitoslava and son Stepan often tour together with dad with solo numbers and most often perform songs to their father's music.
Discography
1995 - "My friends"
1997 — "Queen", Studio "ALEX"
2001 — "Natalie Street", Studio "6 Second"
2004 — "Roses for You", Studio "6 Seconds"
2014 — "Road to the Temple", Studio "6 Seconds"
Awards, prizes and honors
Honored Artist of Ukraine (1998);
OrDay of Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky 1st degree (2000);
People's Artist of Ukraine (2002);
Order of "Cossack Glory" 3rd degree (2003);
Award "Golden Disc" (Munich, 2003);
Order "Christmas of Christ" (2004);
Order of Andrew the First-Called II degree (2005);
Order of Andrew the First-Called 1st degree (2006);
Order of Merit III degree (2009).
