Alisa Konstantinovna Vidulina (16 March 1927, Kharkiv - 29 March 2022, the same place) was the first female conductor in Ukraine, a musician, teacher, and holder of the Order of Princess Olha, third class.
She was born in Kharkiv on 16.03.1927. In junior high school, as an excellent student, she was sent to the newly opened Palace of Pioneers. There, Lyalya learned to play the piano, mastered the xylophone and harmonica in the noise orchestra (she even received a scholarship while studying here). But in the autumn of 1941, her happy childhood was interrupted by the war, and Alisa and her parents found themselves in occupied Kharkiv, having miraculously escaped deportation to Germany twice.
The first entry in her work record book was made on 24 August 1943 (immediately after the liberation of Kharkiv from the Nazis) as a musician of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Folk Instruments. Without interrupting her work in the orchestra, in 2 years (1943-45) she graduated from the music school with a degree in piano; in 1945 she entered and in 1950 graduated from the Kharkiv State Conservatory (teacher - Kostiantyn Doroshenko), receiving a diploma as a conductor of the folk instruments orchestra and a concertina soloist. For one academic year (1950/51), she taught conducting at the music school.
In autumn 1951, Vidulina was admitted to the 3rd year of the Kyiv State Conservatory. Shortly after starting classes at the conservatory in October 1951, she passed the competition and was appointed the 2nd conductor of the Ukrainian Radio Information Committee's folk instruments orchestra. She combined work and study. After graduating from the Conservatory in 1954, with the qualification of "conductor of symphony orchestra and opera", A. K. Vidulina was appointed to the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR (as an assistant conductor to People's Artist of the USSR Natan Rakhlin).
In the summer of 1957, due to personal reasons (the birth of her daughter), she returned to Kharkiv and was transferred to the State Conservatory as a senior lecturer. Since 1960, she has been a part-time and then full-time conductor of the Kharkiv Musical Comedy Theatre.
In autumn 1974, she joined the Kharkiv State Institute of Culture (now Kharkiv State Academy of Culture), where she taught conducting until her retirement at the end of March 2015. 28.11.1979 г. A. K. Vidulina was awarded the academic title of associate professor at the Department of Orchestral Conducting. She initiated the organisation of this department and headed it, and after the reorganisation - the Department of Wind and Pop Orchestra Instruments. In the 70s and 80s, Vidulina also directed an amateur brass band in Dergachi (in 1982, this band was awarded the title of folk band), and advised the amateur team of the Metalist musical comedy theatre of the Palace of Culture.
Between 2000 and 2013, Alisa Vidulina conducted and gave masterclasses at the Kharkiv Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy, the Mykola Lysenko Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the Slobozhansky Youth Academic Symphony Orchestra by invitation and contract.
At the Kyiv State Conservatory, Alisa Vidulina studied with Professor, Honoured Artist of the Ukrainian SSR Oleksandr Klimov, who was then the rector of the conservatory and chief conductor of the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre. As a conductor, she prepared programmes with such luminaries of the Ukrainian stage as Ivan Patorzhynskyi, Maria Lytvynenko-Volhemut, Mykhailo Hryshko, and Borys Hmyria, and her conducting mentors were People's Artists of the USSR Nathan Rakhlin and Konstantin Simeonov.
At the Kharkiv Theatre of Musical Comedy, Alisa Vidulina staged performances with leading directors of the genre, such as People's Artist of the USSR Vladimir Kandelaki, (chief director of the Moscow Opera Theatre), People's Artist of the USSR Les Ivashutich, etc. of the USSR Vladimir Kandelaki, (chief director of the Moscow Operetta Theatre), People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR Les Ivashutich, and others. It was thanks to her creative ideas that the theatre's repertoire was replenished with newly written operettas by domestic authors, and the stars of this genre came to tour - People's Artists of the USSR Tatiana Shmyga, Georg Ots, Mikhail Vodiany, Hungarian operetta prima donna Maria Tiboldi and many others.
During her 50-year teaching career (1957-2015), it should be emphasised that Alisa Konstantinovna trained more than 200 graduates as a result of individual lessons rather than lectures. And for decades now, they have been working in all parts of Ukraine as conductors of various orchestras, holding responsible positions in the field of culture and arts. Among them, in particular: Allin Vlasenko, Honoured Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, People's Artist of Ukraine, conductor of the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kyiv, professor at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine; Vitaliy Kutsenko, Honoured Artist of Ukraine, chief conductor of the Kharkiv National Opera and Ballet Theatre for about 20 years. Lysenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre; Shaliko Paltadzhyan, Honoured Artist of Ukraine, artistic director of the Kharkiv Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy for over 25 years; Kostyantyn Glushenko, chief conductor of the Kharkiv Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy, then chief conductor of the Mykhailo Vodianyi Odesa Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy; Ivan Mykyta, general director of the Transcarpathian Regional Philharmonic.
Alisa Vidulina is the first female conductor in Ukraine to receive a professional conducting education, having successfully mastered a male speciality. Her career spanned 71 years and 7 months (24.08.1943 - 24.03.2015).
Alisa Vidulina was the oldest active female conductor in Ukraine. She actively performed until the age of 90.
To this day, the hallmark of the Kharkiv Academic Theatre of Musical Comedy is the operetta Silva by I. Kalman, which Vidulina staged with director I. Radomyssky in 1961. In December 2011, an anniversary performance took place: "Silva - 50 years on the stage of the KhATMK"[9], and an unprecedented event - just like 50 years ago, Alisa Vidulina was at the conductor's console! A symbolic laurel wreath was presented to her from the regional department of culture and the All-Ukrainian Music Union.
Awards.
She was awarded Diplomas of the Ukrainian SSR for participating in conducting competitions in 1955 and 1959, Diplomas and letters of thanks from the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine, Kharkiv Regional Council.
A. K. Vidulina is a laureate of the Borys Hmyrya Art Prize of the City Executive Committee.
In 2013, Vidulina was awarded a lifetime state scholarship as an outstanding worker of culture and arts of Ukraine.
By the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 188/2019 of 4 May 2019, Alisa Vidulina was awarded the Order of Princess Olga, III degree.
IN THE MEDIA
Kharkiv television and radio studios have dedicated their programmes to the conductor's work. Fragments of programmes by symphony orchestras conducted by this unique personality can be seen on the Internet.
Alisa Vidulina had the opportunity to go abroad, gaining fame and recognition there, but this was unacceptable to her, because, according to her, one must stay in the homeland where one was educated in order to pass on knowledge to new generations and give joy to the audience of one's native country.
The last years of life and death
Alisa Konstantinovna celebrated her 95th birthday in war-torn Kharkiv. She used to say that music is mathematics, which is why musicians live a long time because they think so much and accurately. The actions of her daughter, a remarkable composer and singer Zhanna Komleva, who created decent living conditions for Alisa Konstantinovna until the last minute, can be called a civilian feat.
She died on 29 March 2022 in Kharkiv
