Derzhinskaya, Xenia (Georgievna)

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Derzhinskaya, Xenia (Georgievna)

Derzhinskaya, Xenia (Georgievna) , notable Russian soprano; b. Kiev, Feb. 6, 1889; d. Moscow, June 9, 1951. She was a pupil of F. Pash and M. Marchesi in Kiev. After appearing in concerts there, she settled in Moscow and sang at the Narodniy Dom Opéra (1913–15), and subsequently was a leading member of the Bolshoi Theater (1915–8); also pursued a concert career, and taught voice at the Moscow Cons. (1947–51). In 1937 she was named a People’s Artist of the USSR. She won high praise in her homeland for her compelling portrayals of roles in Russian opéras.

Bibliography

E. Grosheva, X. G. D. (Moscow, 1952).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire