Galina Vishnevskaya

Galina Vishnevskaya studied at Moscow Conservatory. Njål Sparbo is recorded as having studied under Galina Vishnevskaya. The recorded working language is Russian. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are classical music and opera. Distinctions recorded are Commander of the Legion of Honour, People's Artist of the USSR, Order of Lenin and Officer of Arts and Letters.

• Name — Galina Vishnevskaya • Native Name — Галина Вишневская • Birth Name — Galina Pavlovna Ivanova • Born — 25 October 1926 • Died — 11 December 2012 • Birthplace — Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union • Place of death — Moscow, Russia • Occupation — Opera singer (soprano) • Years Active — 1944–1982 • Children — 3, including Elena Rostropovich

Vishnevskaya was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). She made her professional stage debut in 1944 singing operetta. After a year studying with Vera Nikolayevna Garina, she won a competition held by the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (with Rachmaninoff's song "O, Do Not Grieve" and Verdi's aria "O patria mia" from Aida) in 1952. The next year, she became a member of the Bolshoi Theatre. On 24 March 1957, she made her debut in Finnish National Opera as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin. On 9 May 1960, she made her first appearance in Sarajevo at the National Theatre, as Aida. In 1961, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Aida; the following year she made her debut at the Royal Opera House with the same role. For her La Scala debut in 1964, she sang Liù in Turandot, opposite Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli. In addition to the roles in the Russian operatic repertoire, Vishnevskaya also sang roles such as Violetta, Tosca, Cio-cio-san, Leonore, and Cherubino. Benjamin Britten wrote the soprano role in his War Requiem (completed 1962) specially for her, though the USSR prevented her from traveling to Coventry Cathedral for the premiere performance. The USSR eventually allowed her to leave in order to make the first recording of the Requiem. Vishnevskaya was married to the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich from 1955 until his death in 2007; they performed together regularly (he on piano or on the podium). Both she and Rostropovich were friends of Dmitri Shostakovich, and they made an electrifying recording of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for EMI. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a friend and an ally in various causes, lived at their dacha for about three years from 1968, at a time when he was closely watched by the KGB and had become an official non-person; the home of the two acclaimed musicians offered safety and freedom from the risk of being spied on at home. • Illustration — Galina Vishnevskaya with husband Mstislav Rostropovich In 1974, the couple asked the Soviet government for an extended leave and left the Soviet Union. Eventually they settled in the United States and Paris. In 1982, the soprano bade farewell to the opera stage, in Paris, as Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. In 1987, she stage directed Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride in Washington, D.C. In 1984, Vishnevskaya published a memoir, Galina: A Russian Story. With her husband, Mstislav Rostropovich, she founded the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation, a publicly supported nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C., in 1991 to improve the health and future of children in the former Soviet Union. In 2002, she opened her own opera theatre in Moscow, the "Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre". In 2006, she was featured in Alexander Sokurov's documentary Elegy of a life: Rostropovich, Vishnevskaya. In 2007, she starred in his film Alexandra, playing the role of a grandmother coming to see her grandson in the Second Chechen War. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. In the last week of her life, Russian President Vladimir Putin honoured her with the First Class Order of Merit for the Fatherland. • Illustration — With Russian First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva, 15 October 2010 On 11 December 2012, Vishnevskaya died at the age of 86 in Moscow. She was married three times. Her first marriage was to Georgy Vishnevsky, a sailor. She retained his family name after their divorce. Her second marriage was to the violinist and director of the Leningrad Light Opera company, Mark Rubin, who also served as her manager. This second marriage produced a son, who died at age 2 months, and lasted 10 years before ending in divorce. Her daughters survive her.

Galina Vishnevskaya was recorded at birth as Галина Павловна Иванова. The authorities additionally record the heading Galina Pavlovna Vishnevskaya. Her recorded language was Russian. Her recorded confession was Eastern Orthodoxy. She married Mstislav Rostropovich. One child is recorded: Elena Rostropovich.

Galina Vishnevskaya is recorded with the occupation theatre director. Recorded with the occupation music educator. Recorded with the occupation opera singer. Classed in the genre classical music. Classed in the genre opera. Recorded as having received Commander of the Legion of Honour, People's Artist of the USSR and Order of Lenin.