Borys Hmyria is a legendary Ukrainian bass, whose velvety, deep, and remarkably flexible voice is considered one of the finest in the history of vocal art. The son of a peasant labourer, he obtained an engineering education and only then devoted himself to singing, becoming a soloist of the Kyiv Opera.
Hmyria brilliantly performed operatic roles (Taras Bulba, the Mussorgsky and Wagnerian and Verdian repertoire), but a special place in his art was held by Ukrainian folk song and chamber singing — art songs to the words of Shevchenko and Franko. He never left Ukraine for a career elsewhere, while the Soviet authorities did not allow him to tour Western countries because of his wartime performances under occupation, so abroad he sang only in socialist-bloc countries. Hmyria's recordings are still a standard of vocal mastery, and his interpretations of folk songs move the listener with the depth and sincerity of their feeling.
