Lev Valentina

Born August 13, 1926 in Moscow. Father - Surkov Nikolai Nikolaevich (1904-1975), worked as a metallurgical engineer. Mother - Surkov Varvara Ivanovna (1907-1997). Spouse - Levko Vladimir I. (1922-1991), a combat fighter pilot (1942-1945), after the war - pilot test. Daughter - Love (1951g.rozhd.).

Music of the Valentine became involved with 8 years of violin. Singing began with 12 years. Vocal learned listening to the Russian song, old song. During the war years was with his family in the evacuation of the city Pavlovo-on-Oka Gorky Region. Dream to study singing never left her, and she seized every opportunity to initiation of vocal art, although she studied at a music school for violin. In 1943 she passed the entrance examinations in music school at the Moscow Conservatory on violin. Time was the military, and material circumstances did not allow her to deal only with studies. Began looking for work in the orchestra, but always needed a violinist, but not violinists. At this time, Professor VV Borisov and his assistant, AV Bagrintsev discovered class of viola at the musical school Gnesin. After making a good impression on members of the commission, Valentine became a freshman again and soon found work in the orchestra of the theater of miniatures, and then in the orchestra of the theater named Yermolova

. In 1948, . After graduation Gnesin, . she entered the Faculty of orchestral Musical Pedagogical Institute Gnesin and received over 5 years excellent musical training, . which became the basis for the development of her voice, . as vocal lessons, she has not stopped,
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In 1953, successfully passing the state exams, Valentine Levko with the qualification and orchestra teacher in the class viola. However, his life and career, she connected with the singing career. Second degree - opera and concert and chamber singer - she was at the Moscow Conservatory in 1963, when he was a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.

In 1957 he was accepted for competition in the Moscow Academic Musical Theater of Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. Her debut on Nov. 6, 1957 in the party Elaine Bezukhova in the opera "War and Peace Prokofiev.

On the stage of this theater V. Levko performed several parties, including Duenna in the opera of Prokofiev's opera Ustinov Kovalev "Emelyan Pugachev, Chipru in the operetta of Johann Strauss' The Gypsy Baron" and others. At the same time began its concert activity both in the country and abroad.

In December 1959, at the invitation SY Lemeshev, while the Deputy Director of the Bolshoi Theater, Valentine Levko his debut as Ratmir in the opera "Ruslan and Ludmila" by Glinka. Conducted performance A.Sh.Melik-Pashayev. The debut was a great success, and in 1960 she was enrolled in the Bolshoi Theater

. The Bolshoi Valentina Levko sang more than 20 parties, . including such important, . as Martha in Khovanshchina Mussorgsky, . Lyubasha in "The Tsar's Bride" A.N.Rimskogo-Korsakov, . Vanya in Ivan Susanin Glinka, . Konchakovna in "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin, . The Princess in "Rusalka" AS Dargomyzhsky, . Kuikli in "Falstaff" Verdi's and many others,
. In working on these parties helped her MP Maksakova, thanks to the concern that Valentine Levko comprehended a tradition of performance, created by the masters of Russian opera

. Valentine Levko participated in almost all the Bolshoi Theater in the country and abroad (U.S., . Canada, . Japan, . France, . Italy), . including in the first tour abroad in 1964 in Milan at "La Scala", . Konchakovna where she sang the part in the opera "Prince Igor" AP Brodin, . Luxuriate in the opera "Sadko" A.N.Rimskogo-Korsakov, . Akhrosimova in the opera "War and Peace Prokofiev, . Countess in Mozart's opera The Queen of Spades Tchaikovsky,
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By the tour in Milan, the Bolshoi has prepared a new production of the opera "The Queen of Spades" by B. Pokrovsky (director) and Melik-Pashayev (conductor). New reading of the image of the Countess in this production provoked a rapturous audience's reaction and criticism. Italian writer Angelo Matakkiera after the Bolshoi Theater on the stage of La Scala, wrote: "We, the Milanese will never forget singing and playing Valentina Levko in" The Queen of Spades. It is an amazing singer and a great actress ".

Since 1974, V. Levko start in parallel with the work in the theater to engage in vocal pedagogy at the Institute Gnesin.

In 1982 he celebrated 25 years of VA Levko on the opera stage. Shortly before leaving the stage, she sang another new game for themselves Babulenki in the opera of Prokofiev's The Gambler.

After retiring from the theater and having a huge repertoire, V. Levko continued to concert activities, which it has always attached great importance to. Solo concerts, she has traveled the country from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka, sang in concert more than 20 foreign countries in Europe. America, Asia, Australia. In different years, participated in an international series of "The Wizard of vocal art" in Yugoslavia, . The concert "beautiful voice of peace in the chamber subscription" in West Berlin, . in a charity gala concert to benefit children with disabilities under the patronage of the Prince of Wales in London, . in concerts, . dedicated to the works of Prokofiev in Vienna,
. After concerts in Vienna, the Austrian newspaper "Express" wrote: "Valentine Levko - wonderful singer. Its free, nice-sounding velvety voice pours noble and pure, and she sings like sing great singer ".

V. Levko was the first representative of Russia in the XIV Handel Festival in Halle in Germany. The newspaper "Freiheit" noted: "Talent actress appeared in such a warmth of feelings, richness and fullness of voice that suggests Levko, as a vocal phenomenon"

. It is often accepted invitations to sing viola party in Mozart's Requiem and Verdi's, . 9 th Symphony of Beethoven and 3rd Mahler, . in oratorios and cantatas by Bach I., . Gendel, . Prokofiev, . Kabalevsky, . Felzman, . R. Manukova, . Choral Concert N 33 D. Bortniansky,
. She has performed with orchestras under K. Kondrashin, . D. Kitaenko, . Gennady Rozhdestvensky, . Yuri Temirkanov, . Evgeny Svetlanov, . N. Rakhlina, . K. Mazur, . T. Schippers, . Yu Domarkas, . Neeme Jцєrvi, . happy to sing accompanied by an orchestra of Russian folk instruments, . when a remote control were such masters, . as V. Gnutov, . I. Dubrovsky, . AP Kalinin, . S. Kolobkov, . Nekrasov, . V. Fedoseev and Symphonic Orchestra Yu Silantyeva,
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For many years, VN. Levko worked with a great musician and accompanist G. Singer, as well as with D. Lerner, Y. Selivohinoy, Fedorenko, G. Transfiguration

. Valentina Levko were prepared and the first time in the Soviet Union performed the following works: "St. Matthew Passion" I. Base (Party Viola), . Requiem (the verses R. Rozhdestvensky) and a song cycle (the verses R. Gamzatov) Kabalevsky, . vocal cycles V. Bibik, . Dmitrieva, . Contemporary American composer Leffler, . arias and songs by Bach, . Vivaldi and others,


. Levko performed in almost all the rooms of the world: Carnegie Hall, . Music-ferrayn, . Albertholl, . Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, . Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky, . Concert Hall of the Glinka in St. Petersburg and the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and others,
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Since 1985, Valentina Levko chair for solo singing in Russia Academy of Music. Over the years it has created a new program, which reflects the basic principles of Levko-teacher. Production of voice and vocal training should be linked with the methods of teaching music instrumentalists, ie. vocalist professional should feel your voice as a stringed or wind instrument. In the class of Professor VN Levko, along with Russia, engaged students from the USA, Greece, Yugoslavia, China, South Korea and other countries.

In 1994, VN Levko was invited to China to conduct master classes at the Conservatory in Shenyang City. In 1996 she visited South Korea, where she was engaged with the singers and took part in a grand concert in the city of Suwon

. In different years, "Tune" were released records and compact discs with recordings performed B. Levko arias by Bach, . Renaissance music, . Schubert songs, . Brahms, . De Fali, . Glinka, . Dargomyzhsky, . Rubinstein, . Rimsky-Korsakov, . Balakirev, . Cui, . Tchaikovsky, . Medtner, . Rachmaninoff, . Russian romances and songs,
. Also with Valentine Levko out sets of records with the record operas "Ivan Susanin Glinka, . Falstaff Verdi's, . The Queen of Spades Tchaikovsky, . as well as scenes from operas Khovanshchina Mussorgsky, . The Tsar's Bride "A.N.Rimskogo-Korsakov, . "Ruslan and Ludmilla Glinka,


. Voice B. Levko sounds in a variety of feature and documentary films: "The Straight Story" (Mosfilm), . "Wedding in Malinovka (Lenfilm), . "Tchaikovsky" (Mosfilm), . Film Performance in Honor of Sol Hurok (Hollywood), . "Aria of Bach and Handel" (Screen), . "Singing Valentines Levko (screen), etc.,
. Entries Valentina Levko continuously transmits radio station "Orpheus", and for several years now quote from the Countess's arias ( "The Queen of Spades Tchaikovsky) opens the popular television program" ChtoN GdeN KogdaN "

. Credibility VN Levko as an artist and teacher, recognized worldwide
. During her tour in Berlin, Wolfgang Schultze in the newspaper "Die Welt": "She is a singer-class and among the mezzo-soprano Russian school. Often tend to be sharp, intense style of singing, she is a woman with a perfectly rounded, sumptuous voice, possessing a deep tone and impeccable evenness in all registers,.

For outstanding performances of Valentine Levko awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia, awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labor, other governmental awards

. She is very active, . as deputy chairman of the All-Russia Music Society, . board member of the Pilot Board "New Names of the planet", . repeatedly been the chairman of the jury of international and All-Russia competitions,
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In 1999, the project VN Levko released Gold album favorite romances by Russian composers in the poetry of A. Pushkin ", dedicated to 200 anniversary of the poet. In 2000 a book was published the People's Artist of Russia, Prof. VN Levko "My fate is in the Bolshoi Theater" (Vladimir, publishing house "Folio").

The terms of her hobbies is broad and diverse. She enjoys photography, drawing, embroidery. He loves animals and nature, raises home flowers. Along with the classic vocal appreciates a good pop music and folk music. The most important thing in her life - family, profession, friends, honesty and kindness in relationships.

Lives and works in Moscow.