ABOUT ALEXANDRA CHERNYSHOVA
Opera Singer (Soprano) - Composer - Educator
Alexandra Chernyshova is operatic soprano with enchanted stage presence and a composer of operatic music.
Alexandra was born in Kiev and studied at the R. Glier Kiev Institute of Music and at the National Music Academy by N.Nezdanova in Odessa where she graduated with GOLDEN MEDAL and received her degree in 2003 as an opera and lied/concert singer and teacher. She holds a master's degree in Educational management majoring in High School Pedagogy, as well as Bachelor degree in philologhy, teacher of English and Spanish Languages and World literature and also European Master of Music degree in innovative practise from the Iceland Academy of the Arts as well as Master of Arts in Cultural Management from Bifröst University. Since 2019 is a member of Icelandic Composers Society - Tónskáldafélag Íslands.
Alexandra began her career as a permanent soloist in the Kiev Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, she performed on Ukraine's National radio and television and participated in international song & opera festivals; The International Musica Sacra Festival held in the city of Marktoberdorf, Germany, the Rhodes International Opera Festival in Greece, International Opera Studio by Katja Ricciarelli in Italy, the Mie International Music Festival in Japan, Opera Skagafjardar in Iceland, Icelandic symphony orchestra of the North, New York Contemporary Opera Festival, USA, Organ summer in Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavík and others.
Recently Alexandra received Second prize of Salzburg International Music Competition ( Professional Voice, Austria, 2024); Third prize of London Classical Music Competition (Voice, London, 2022); Bronze Medal of Amadeus International Music Award (Professional Voice devision, Austria 2022) and Grand Prix at the International Festival of Arts "AURORA" (Stokholm, Sweden 2021)
as well as Fourth award in the First International Online Clara Schumann Competition (2023 & 2021, Professional Voice devision) and Cultural Art Award of Reykjanesbæjar 2020 - Menningaverðlaun Súlann - a silver statue by artist Elísabet Ásberg.(Reykjanesbær,Iceland); Laureate of International World Folk Vision Competition 2020 (Canada, 2020); Among awards of Alexandra are First Prize and Second Prize at the International Composer Competition by Isaak Dunajevskiy (Moscow, Russia, year 2020 and 2019);International Prize of the Outstanding Young Icelanders for achievement in culture of Iceland (JCI,Reykjavik, Iceland, 2014);
Alexandra - the finalist of the competition "Man of the Year", the National Award (Skagafjördur, Iceland, 2007); Laureate of the International Competition of opera singers (Rhodes, Greece, 2002) and the National Music Competition "New Names" (Kiev, Ukraine, 2002) and others.
At the age of 16 Alexandra sang with National Radio Orquestra of Ukraine while recording classical song "Біле місто"/ "White city" by composer V. Shapovalenko in Kiev. Very young Alexandra won her first composer competition “Barvinok” in Kiev, then she won several song-writers competitions as “Artek - International”, “Gaudeamus”, “The best song about Kiev” and received memorable watch from the Mayor of Kiev - Oleksandr Omelchenko. Both Alexandra´s composition and voice made her noticeable in Kiev music life very young. At age of 18 Alexandra sang major opera role "Ivasik-Telesik" by O.Zerbakov in Kiev National Academical Music Theater of Opera and Ballet for youth where she was working as a soloist before moving to Iceland.
After moving to North Iceland in 2003, Alexandra Chernyshova founded a singing school, girl's choir and an Opera House. She made her way to the hearts of Icelanders through the beautiful crystal voice, sincere musicality and vivid stage presence.
After Alexandra's appearance as Violetta Valery in “La Traviata” by G. Verdi with the Icelandic Opera Skagafjardar company, music critics said that “Miracles still happen”.
In year 2013 she sang the leading role in her first composed Icelandic opera "The Poet and the Bishop's Daughter" - with lyrics by Guðrún Ásmundsdóttir - in a concert performance at the Saurbær Church of Hallgrímur Pétursson. Year 2014 she received an award from the president of Iceland for outstanding achievement in music - Top 10 Outstanding Young Icelanders, JCI.
In 2015, Alexandra published her first music notebook - 14 arias, duets, trio and choirs for opera voice & piano and release concert was at the concert hall Kaldalón in Harpa Music Hall, Reykjavík.
In 2017, this opera was translated into Ukrainian Language for the special celebration of R. Glier Music Institute's 150th Anniversary and was performed at the Tara’s Shevchenko National University of Kiev. Alexandra’s second opera-ballet “The Northern Lights Fairytale” on a libretto by her mother Evgenia Chernyshova was introduced at the Festivals for Children in Iceland and premiered at Reykjavik's Harpa Music Hall, in 2017.
Then followed, the release of the book and CD of “The Northern Lights Fairytale”. In 2022 Alexandra published music digital teaching opera material & notebook - 10 arias, duets, trio and choirs for opera voices and piano as well adapted material for Music & choir lessons for secondary & music schools.
In 2021, third Icelandic opera on Icelandic language by Alexandra Chernyshova "Good morning, Madam President" was premiered in concert performance in Grafarvogrskirkja, Reykjavík. Opera is in III acts, written for 12 soloists, opera choir and opera orquestra.Opera dedicated to the First woman president in the world - frú Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.
Alexandra published 3 solo CD's, among them “A Dream” Russian album with 11 romances by Sergei Rachmaninov, accompanied by Icelandic legend - pianist Jonas Ingimundarsson and 1 double CD with Alexandra´s first composed opera "Skáldið og Biskupsdóttirin", acompanied by Ukrainian Gosorquestra, Icelandic choir Filharmonía. eleven Icelandic prominent opera soloists and story-teller & librettist Guðrún Ásmundsdóttir.