Oleksandr Modestovych Nosalevych (21 March 1874, Bilychi - 19 January 1959, Wiesbaden) was a Ukrainian opera singer (bass-baritone), soloist at opera houses in Lviv, Vienna, Wiesbaden and other European cities, promoter of Ukrainian songs, and sponsor of music and theatre groups in Galicia.
Biography and work
He was born in the family of the priest Modest Nosalevych (the parish priest of the villages of Bilychi and Chyshky) and spent his youth in the village of Bilychi (Sambir district, now Starosambir district, Lviv region). He studied at the Sambir Gymnasium and later at the Vienna Conservatory with Professor Josef Gensbacher.
Nosalevych was a soloist at opera houses in Lviv, Vienna, Wiesbaden and other European cities. He became famous as one of the best performers of the role of Mephistopheles (Faust by Charles Gounod), sang in operas Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven), Carmen (Georges Bizet) and others. He performed Mykola Lysenko's works and Ukrainian folk songs with great success. He often came to Sambir, where he performed concerts at the invitation of local musical societies, and provided financial assistance to music and theatre groups. Even when he was far away from his native land, he did not forget it, and this characterises the singer as a patriot of his homeland.
