Maria Stefiuk (born 16 July 1948, Rozhniv village, Kosiv district, Stanislav region) is a Soviet and Ukrainian singer. People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1979). People's Artist of the USSR (1985). Hero of Ukraine (2008).
Biography.
She was born on 16 July 1948 in the Hutsul village of Rozhniv, Stanislav region. Studied at the Kyiv Conservatory (1967-1973) in the class of Professor Natalia Zakharchenko.
Since 1972, she has been a soloist (lyric and colouratura soprano) at the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv Opera and Ballet Theatre. She made her debut in the role of Marfa in the opera The Tsar's Bride by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Since 2000, she has been a lecturer at the Kyiv Conservatory (Department of Solo Singing).
Best opera roles: Antonida (Life for the Czar by M. Glinka), Marguerite Valois (Huguenots by J. Meyerbeer), Leila (Les Misérables by G. Bizet). Other roles include Rosina (The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor by G. Donizetti), Musetta (La bohème by G. Puccini), Gilda (Rigoletto by G. Verdi), Violetta (La traviata by G. Verdi), Erot (Orfeo and Eurydice by C. V. Gluck), Zerlina (W. A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Manon in the opera of the same name by J. Massenet, Marilka (Taras Bulba by M. Lysenko), a new mermaid (Mermaid Easter by M. Leontovych), Milusha (Yaroslav the Wise by G. Maiboroda),
In 1981, she was the second Ukrainian singer, after Solomiya Krushelnytska, to perform at the La Scala Theatre in Milan (Italy). It was the role of Parasya in Mussorgsky's opera "The Sorochinsky Fair". She has toured the USA, Canada, and Western Europe. She gives concerts, records on the radio and for CDs, and appears in television films. The singer's repertoire includes many Ukrainian folk songs.
On 6 October 2009, she performed at the Lviv Philharmonic together with the Bandura Choir.
The singer can be heard on recorded CDs and discs. Her voice is also heard in the film-opera "Natalka Poltavka" (1978).
Awards.
The title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the State (3 July 2008) - for a significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian culture and art, significant creative achievements and on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine
Order of Princess Olha I class (15 July 2003) - for a significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian culture and art, many years of creative activity and high performing skills
Order of Princess Olha II class (7 September 2001) - for a significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian opera and ballet art, high professionalism
Order of Princess Olha, III class (23 July 1998) - for significant personal contribution to the development of culture and art of Ukraine, high creative achievements
People's Artist of the USSR (1985)
Winner of the Taras Shevchenko State Prize of Ukraine (1988)
Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (21 July 1998)
Documentary film
"And Again I Fly to the Sun" (2012) is a Ukrainian documentary film directed by Pavlo Fariuk about the singer Maria Stefiuk.
