Andrij Dobriansky

Andrij Vsevolod Dobriansky (September 2, 1930 in Lviv, Ukraine – February 1, 2012 in New York, NY), was a principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years where he sang over 60 roles in over 900 performances. He was a recipient of a scholarship to study chemistry at Amherst College, but later decided to forgo chemistry and came to New York to pursue a career in opera. The bass-baritone had the longest career with the Met of any Ukrainian-born artist.

Dobriansky sang with the Metropolitan Opera National Company touring the U.S for several years. Under the management of Sol Hurok, he made his operatic debut at the Met in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West in 1970. His vast operatic repertoire included performances in the premiere of Les Mammelles de Tiresias (1981), I Vespri Siciliani ( 1974), the world premiere of Ghosts of Versailles(1991), as well as in the new Met stagings of Khovanshchina (1985), Arabella (1983), Bartered Bride (1978), Gianni Schicchi (1974), La Fille du Regiment (1972), Werther (1971), Der Freischütz (1971). Dobriansky can be heard on countless archived Metropolitan broadcasts and telecasts.

The bass baritone performed under the baton of renowned conductors Leonard Bernstein, James Levine, Richard Bonynge, Zubin Mehta, Karl Bohm, Christoph Von Dohnanyi, Rafael Kubelik, Thomas Schippers, Erich Leinsdorf, Julius Rudel, and others. He was a consummate art song recitalist as well as an oratorio soloist. Having performed with many symphony orchestras and opera companies, Dobriansky was also a veteran of Newport Music Festival, Berkshire Opera, Chautauqua Music Festival.

Dobriansky's versatility as an artist, with commanding stage presence and handsomeness, also extended into the role of impresario where he staged and directed operas. One of the leading proponents of Ukrainian classical music in the United States, he was unsurpassed in consistently performing and conducting works by the greatest Ukrainian classical composers.

A portrait of the artist can be found at the Metropolitan Opera Gallery.