Krushelnitskaia, Solomeia Amvrosievna

Born Sept. 11 (23), 1873, in the village of Beliavintsy, in presentday Buchach Raion, Ternopol’ Oblast; died Nov. 16, 1952, in L’vov. Soviet Ukrainian lyric and dramatic soprano and teacher. Honored Art Worker of the Ukrainian SSR (1951).

KrushePnitskaia graduated in 1893 from the L’vov Conserva-tory and went to Italy; she lived abroad until 1939. She performed with great success in both European and American opera houses and also toured Russia (Odessa, 1896–97, St. Petersburg, 1898–1901). Krushel’nitskaia was as renowned as F. I. Chaliapin, E. Caruso, and M. Battistini. From the mid-1920’s she limited herself to recitals.

In addition to classical pieces, her repertoire included Ukrainian folk songs and works by Ukrainian composers. Krushel’nitskaia had close professional ties with the composer N. V. Lysenko. In 1939, after the reunification of the Western Ukraine with the Ukrainian SSR, she returned to L’vov and taught at the conservatory (from 1946 as a professor).