Olga Kulchynska

Born in 1990, Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska gained the attention of the international opera world in 2015 when she was awarded First Prize at the internationally renowned Francisco Viñas Vocal Competition in Barcelona. She subsequently debuted to great acclaim at the Zürich Opera as Giulietta in Christof Loy’s new production of “I Capuleti e i Montecchi”, opposite Joyce DiDonato and conducted by Fabio Luisi, after which she bowed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona as Musetta in “La Bohème”. Kulchynska has since been invited for major debuts at the Paris Opera, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Metropolitan Opera.

Kulchynska has been a leading member of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow since 2014, when she made her debut as Marfa in the new production of Rimsy-Korsakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride”. This season, she appeared at the Bolshoi as Corinna in Rossini’s “Il Viaggo a Reims” and Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro”. Subsequent engagements for the 2016/17 season include her return to the Zürich Opera for three roles: Giulietta, and her first performances of Adina in “L’elisir d’amore” and Zerlina in “Don Giovanni”.

Other recent performances include Kulchynska’s debut as Gilda in “Rigoletto” at the Bolshoi, her revival of Giulietta in “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” at Zürich Opera, and her debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Musetta. In the 2017/18 season, Kulchynska will make her debut at the Opera Bastille in Paris as Rosina in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and her debut at the Bavarian State Opera as Susanna in the new production of “Le Nozze di Figaro”.

Olga Kulchynska studied music theory at the Kiev Glier State College of Music, and at the age of 19 she began her vocal studies at the Tchaikovsky Kiev National Music Academy of Ukraine with Maria Stefiuk. In addition to her First Prize win at the Viñas Competition, Kulchynska has won many prestigious vocal competitions, including Grand Prix at the 2011 Grigory Alchevsky International Singing Competition in Kharkov, Third Prize at Plácido Domingo’s 2016 Operalia Competition, Third Prize in the 2012 Bul-Bul International Vocal Competition, and First Prize in the 2012 Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition in Kiev. She was also a semi-finalist in the 2012 International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Vienna.

Kulchynska was invited to join the Young Artist Program of the Bolshoi Theater in 2013, during which time she made her debut as Marfa. In 2014, she was invited to join the company itself. Kulchynska has participated in several guest appearances with the Bolshoi, singing Marfa in the new production of Rimsky-Korakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride” in February of 2014.

Other roles in the artist’s developing repertoire include Ilia in “Idomeneo”, Pamina in “Die Zauberflöte”, Amina in “La Sonnambula”, Juliette in “Romeo et Juliette”, Leila in “Les Pecheurs de Perles”, Micaëla in “Carmen” and Antonia in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann”.