Not every connoisseur of classical music knows the conditions in which opera singers grew and matured. An example of selfless service to art is the biography of Nikolai Petrovich Okhotnikov.
Starting conditions
People's Artist of the Soviet Union Nikolai Okhotnikov was born on July 5, 1937 in a peasant family. Parents at that time lived in a small village on the territory of the East Kazakhstan region. My father worked as a machine operator on a collective farm. The mother was engaged in housekeeping. Nikolai's grandfather had a powerful voice and sang excellent Russian folk songs. From an early age, the future opera singer listened to "From Beyond the Island to the Rod" and "Along the Wild Steppes of Transbaikalia".
An elementary school was built in the village and seven-year-old Kolya was sent to literacy. Singing was also taught to children. An elderly teacher brought a gramophone with a set of records to the lesson. It was during such lessons that Okhotnikov first heard a song about a flea from the opera Faust. And not only heard, but began to sing along. The boy's vocal abilities were appreciated by the teacher. And not only appreciated, but advised parents to send their son to a music school.
Varangian guest
After a meeting at the family council, Nikolai went to receive specialized education at a music school in the city of Krasnodar. As a student, Okhotnikov began performing on the stage of the local theater. His voice was noticeably distinguished by its rare timbre. After completing his studies, the certified performer worked for three years on the stage of the Krasnodar Drama Theater. He took an active part in regional and all-union competitions. The work of the young singer was noticed and invited to work in Leningrad.
In 1962, Okhotnikov was admitted to the staff of Lenconcert. Simultaneously with his performance on stage, the singer took vocal lessons at the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1971, Nikolai Petrovich became a soloist at the now famous Mariinsky Theater. The best years of the talented performer passed within the walls of this temple of arts. Okhotnikov took part in almost all productions. With touring performances, the theater troupe, without the slightest exaggeration, traveled all over Europe and America.
Essays on personal life
Nikolai Okhotnikov made a great contribution to the formation of operatic art not only as a performer, but also as a teacher. For many years he taught the basics of vocal skills at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1988 he was awarded the title of professor. On his own initiative, the professor has recorded almost all known romances for a low voice. These recordings were included in the anthology of Russian romance.
Okhotnikov's creative career was successful. The story of the personal life of the opera singer fits into several lines. He got married at an early age. The husband and wife raised and raised two sons and a daughter. None of the children chose the profession of a singer or actor. Nikolai Petrovich Okhotnikov died after a short illness in October 2017.
