Nizhnikova, Tamara

Born Mar. 9, 1925, in Samara, present-day Kuibyshev. Soviet Byelorussian coloratura soprano. People’s Artist of the USSR (1964).

In 1949, Nizhnikova graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where she had studied voice under M. V. Vladimirova. She has been a soloist at the Byelorussian Theater of Opera and Ballet since 1949 (except for 1950). Her best roles include Liubov’ Shevtsova in Meitus’ The Young Guard, Marfochka in Tikotskii’s Alesia, Marinka in Pukst’s opera of the same name, Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Lakmé in Delibes’ opera of the same name, and Volkhova and Marfa in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko and The Tsar’s Bride. In 1964, Nizhnikova became an instructor at the Minsk Conservatory; she was made a docent there in 1969. She has toured abroad. Nizhnikova has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.