Opera Singer. A basso who appeared predominantly in comprimario roles, he is remembered for more than 900 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Born at L'viv in what was then Poland to a musical family he learned to sing from an early age. A chemistry scholarship brought him to Amherst College in the mid 1950s but he soon tired of the academic grind and moved to New York City where he worked at a Schraftt's restaurant while taking voice lessons. Dobriansky made his 1964 bow with the Philadelphia Lyric Opera as Jake from Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West" then sang with a Metropolitan touring ensemble before making his formal company debut on February 11, 1970, as another "Fanciulla" character, the miner Happy. Over the next 26 years he was heard 905 times in about 60 roles including the Bonze of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", Count Ceprano in Verdi's "Rigoletto", Zuniga from Bizet's "Carmen", and Benoit in Puccini's "La Boheme"; occasionally seen in more substantial parts he was Fra Melitone from Verdi's "La Forza del Destino" and Leporello, the comic valet of Mozart's "Don Giovanni". A major part of New York's Ukranian community, he gave frequent recitals featuring the music of his homeland and was for many years the choir master of St. George's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. After singing his final Metropolitan performance on January 6, 1996, as Ivan from Johann Strauss II's "Die Fledermaus" he remained in New York where he died of the complications of longstanding diabetes and heart disease. Andrij Dobriansky can be heard on countless archived Metropolitan broadcasts.
Opera Singer. A basso who appeared predominantly in comprimario roles, he is remembered for more than 900 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Born at L'viv in what was then Poland to a musical family he learned to sing from an early age. A chemistry scholarship brought him to Amherst College in the mid 1950s but he soon tired of the academic grind and moved to New York City where he worked at a Schraftt's restaurant while taking voice lessons. Dobriansky made his 1964 bow with the Philadelphia Lyric Opera as Jake from Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West" then sang with a Metropolitan touring ensemble before making his formal company debut on February 11, 1970, as another "Fanciulla" character, the miner Happy. Over the next 26 years he was heard 905 times in about 60 roles including the Bonze of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", Count Ceprano in Verdi's "Rigoletto", Zuniga from Bizet's "Carmen", and Benoit in Puccini's "La Boheme"; occasionally seen in more substantial parts he was Fra Melitone from Verdi's "La Forza del Destino" and Leporello, the comic valet of Mozart's "Don Giovanni". A major part of New York's Ukranian community, he gave frequent recitals featuring the music of his homeland and was for many years the choir master of St. George's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. After singing his final Metropolitan performance on January 6, 1996, as Ivan from Johann Strauss II's "Die Fledermaus" he remained in New York where he died of the complications of longstanding diabetes and heart disease. Andrij Dobriansky can be heard on countless archived Metropolitan broadcasts.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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Андрій Всеволод Добрянський
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