Alexandra Chernyshova

Soprano

Alexandra Chernyshova is a distinguished Ukrainian-born soprano, composer, and educator who has been a vital force in Iceland’s musical and cultural life since 2003. Originally from Kyiv, she brings a unique artistic voice to every endeavor, seamlessly blending Slavic and Nordic influences in both her performances and compositions.

Chernyshova began her career as a permanent soloist at the Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and has since performed internationally, including at the Musica Sacra Festival (Germany), Rhodes International Opera Festival (Greece), Mie International Music Festival (Japan), and the New York Contemporary Opera Center. In Iceland, she has appeared with Opera Skagafjörður, Opera DreamVoices, and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra of the North. Her notable roles include Violetta in La Traviata and the title role in her own opera The Poet and the Bishop’s Daughter.

As a composer, she is celebrated for works that intertwine narrative and tradition. Her opera-ballet The Northern Lights Fairytale, based on Nordic folklore, premiered in 2018 at Harpa Music Hall in Reykjavík. Created in collaboration with her mother, Evgenia Chernyshova, the work exemplifies her dedication to cultural storytelling. She also founded the “Russian Souvenir” project in 2016 to promote intercultural exchange between Iceland and Russia, leading numerous artistic events until 2022.

Chernyshova’s excellence has been recognized with numerous awards, including:

• Second Prize, Salzburg International Music Competition (2024)
• Third Prize, London Classical Music Competition (2022)
• Bronze Medal, Amadeus International Music Award (2022)
• Grand Prix, International Festival of Arts “AURORA,” Stockholm (2021)
• Cultural Art Award, Reykjanesbær (2020)
• First Prize, International Composer Competition by Isaak Dunayevsky (2019)
Named among the “Top 10 Outstanding Young Icelanders” by JCI (2014)

Deeply committed to music education, Chernyshova founded a singing school, a girls’ choir, and an opera house in North Iceland. She holds degrees from the R. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music, the National Music Academy in Odessa, the Iceland Academy of the Arts, and Bifröst University. Since 2019, she has been a member of the Icelandic Composers Society (Tónskáldafélag Íslands).