New name – bass Serhii Kotko

Soloist of the National House of Organ and Chamber Music in Kyiv and winner of international contests is gradually expanding his audience. Presently Serhii Kotko has many fans, especially young girls, who shower the singer with flowers after each concert.

Typically, concerts held in Organ Hall attract rather diverse crowd. Guests of the Ukrainian capital either from abroad or from the province buy tickets to see the interior of the church and listen to the organ. Only Kyiv residents can choose which of the soloists or music groups they want to come to listen to. One of the most attractive names for music lovers in posters remains the name of a prominent singer Olha Basystiuk (soprano). At the concert that was recently held the music lovers from Kyiv had a chance to get to know a colleague of the prominent singer – bass Serhii Kotko. Basystiuk together with the organ player Hanna Bubnova kindly invited him to participate in the program. The young singer performed Italian arias, mostly from operas by Giuseppe Verdi, whose 200th anniversary is celebrated around the world.

Singing the aria of Maximilian from The Robbers, the young actor demonstrated nice tone density, soundly intoned replicas, and good breathing. In aria of Jean Procida from Sicilian Vespers the audience were impressed with the expressive solo cadenza, when the singer remained unaccompanied “alone” with the public. Although Kotko’s Philip in Don Carlos somewhat lacked the painful desperation of an old man, unhappy in love and anticipation of imminent death, as he was depicted by Verdi (and this is perfectly understandable because Kotko is still a young man and a singer). The actor lacks personal life experience, purely bass color of the higher notes, thus, his Philip got several decades “younger.” However, in aria of Don Basilio “The Art of Slander” from Barber of Seville the singer demonstrated skilful tongue twister performance and masterly use of the nuances of timbre color. In “Cavatina” (initial aria) of Count Rodolfo from the opera La Sonnambula by the master of bel canto Vincenzo Bellini Kotko has placed emphasis on virtuoso elements, which he is persistently mastering on his own lately. Our interview with the singer began with a question about this aspect.

Mr. Kotko what prompted you to master the coloratura technique?

“First of all, the desire to perform baroque music, rich in filigree virtuosity. I decided to take an aria from Handel’s oratorio Messiah, tried to look up another singers perform the same piece on the Internet and heard the Italian singer Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. Well-known musicologist, Professor Maryna Cherkashyna-Hubarenko, who often travels abroad and buys many opera libretto, helped me out with finding the notes. With Cherkashyna-Hubarenko’s help I learned six virtuoso arias by Handel. Another Italian coloratura bass impressed me even more because he sang a piece from Vivaldi’s opera unknown here in Ukraine. I was able to get the collection of music compositions for coloratura bass and baritone from the USA and learned another three arias, including aria of Alidoro from Rossini’s opera Cinderella, even though it’s not a baroque piece, its virtuosity is just as complicated.”

What is your voice range?

“From great F to the F of the first octave.”

What helps you in mastering technically complicated music material?

“The flexibility of the larynx, attempts to understand the logic of the manner of performing of Italian singers and adapting it to my capabilities.”

When did you get the desire for professional vocal performing?

“While studying at Mykhailo Drahomanov Pedagogical University at the Department of Music Education, where they also teach solo singing. My teachers were renowned baritone Volodymyr Hrytsiuk and the author of the book Mystery of Chaliapin Singing – Natalia Prokopenko, who have the notes of the last student of the legendary Camille Everardi about his exercise for voices of all tessituras.”

In your opinion what is the most important in teaching of accurate intonation and voice technique?

“Good ear for music, breathing, and diction.”

Do you have experience of ensemble singing?

“I’ve had it a long time ago, back when I studied at university.”

Have you ever sung in a choir?

“Yes, I sang in the choir of the Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, conducted by Mstyslav Yurchenko.”

Your scientific publications are connected with choral performance. Why did you choose the art of choral performing?

“As I worked on my Ph.D. thesis at Maksym Rylsky Institute of Art, Folklore Studies and Ethnology I chose to make a research on chamber choral performance in Ukraine in a phase of social and cultural transformations. Thus, I consider the process of choral singing becoming chamber quite natural for our time, when a small group of singers is much more mobile and can spread choral culture in Ukraine without losing artistic qualities, compared to, so to say, larger groups.”

Are you going to expand the genre range of your repertoire?

“Yes, I am now working with the layer of Neapolitan songs that hasn’t been adjusted much for the deep voices (despite the established tenor tradition) and also want to revive great songs of Ukrainian composers, including Platon Maiboroda, Ihor Shamo, and Oleksandr Bilash back to concert life.”