The opera studio choir at I. Kotlyarevsky Kharkiv National University of Arts was founded in 1939. The chief choirmasters have always been responsible for the mainstream repertoire of the choir. These include: M. Dolhova (1939-1941), docent D. Hershman (1947-1986), honored Artist of Ukraine, professor N.A. Byelik-Zolotaryova (1981-2009, 2012-nowadays), docent I. Verbytska (2009-2012). L. Bakumenko (1974-1990), T. Karpova (1991-2019), S. Kryvych, T. Sukhomlinova (2016-nowadays) worked as choirmasters in the opera studio.

The choir has participated in numerous operas, including:
“Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky (1939)
“Aleko” by S. Rachmaninoff (1947, 2018)
“Prodaná nevěsta” by B. Smetana (1966, 1994, 2012)
“Ne tol’ko lyubov’” (“Not Love Alone”) by R. Shchedrin (1982)
“Lyubov’ k tryom apel’sinam” (“The Love for Three Oranges”) by S. Prokofiev (1989)
“Utoplena” (“The Drowned Maiden”) by M. Lysenko (1959, 1990)
“Francesca da Rimini” by S. Rachmaninoff (1993)
“Tsarskaya nevesta” (“The Tsar’s Bride”) by N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1995)
“Dido and Aeneas” by H. Purcell (2002)
“Eugene Onegin” by P. Tchaikovsky (1963, 1988, 2016)
“Zaporozhets za Dunaiem” (A Zaporozhian (Cossack) Beyond the Danube) by S. Hulak-Artemovsky (2017)
“Le nozze di Figaro” by W.A. Mozart (2019).
Throughout its career the choir has performed in a wide range of cultural events. The choir was the first in Ukraine to perform the following compositions: Requiem by A. Salieri (2008), Ukrainian requiem by V. Ptushkin (2002), cantata “David’s Psalms” by O. Pokhylo (2005).
Magnificat by J.S. Bach (1985), “Te Deum” by J. Bruckner (1995), “Carmina Burana” by K. Orff (1996), “Antiformalist Rayok” (The Little Antiformalistic Paradise) by D. Shostakovich (2001), in collaboration with the chamber choir – “Roméo et Juliette” by H. Berlioz (2003), such pieces were premiered in Kharkiv.
The repertoire of the choir includes approximately 100 compositions of the vocal, choral and symphonic music (in particular, Symphony №9 by L. Beethoven, Requiem by G. Verdi, cantata “John of Damascus” by S. Taneev, cantata “Vesna” (“Spring”) by S. Rachmaninoff, Symphony №13 “Babi Yar” by D. Shostakovich) and choral a capella compositions by D. Bortnianskyi, M. Verbytskyi, M. Lysenko, P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninoff, G. Sviridov, Y. Falik, V. Stetsenko, M. Skoryk, H. Havrylets.
The opera studio choir has participated in a number of international and national festivals: “Kharkiv Assemblies” (1995, 2003, 2014, 2017, 2019), “S. Rachmaninoff and Ukrainian culture” (2006), “Festival of orthodox choral music ‘To the 250th anniversary of the birth of Dmitry Bortnyansky’ ” (2001), “Poltavska lira” (2004).
It also took part in the concerts of honored artists and artistic teams of the Kharkiv region in Kyiv: “Symfoniia zemli slobozhanskoi” (2001) and “Kharkiv is my love” (2004), concerts of sacred choral music, such as “To the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ” (2001) and “In honor of the 15th anniversary of the Kharkiv bishops ‘ cathedral” (2007).
Choir performed a series of concerts “I chuzhomu navchaites, y svoho ne tsuraites” dedicared to the anniversary of T.H. Shevchenko (2014, 2015); “In memory of outstanding choral conductors of Slobidska Ukraine” (2015).
The main features of the opera studio choir performing style comprise bright monolithic sonority, filigreed technique, meaningful expressive articulation and a wide dynamic scale, which has been repeatedly noted by both the audience and leading masters of the choral genre.
Some renowned singers launched their career in the opera studio choir. Among these are People’s Artist of Ukraine H. Kasianenko, honored Artist of Ukraine, professor N. Hovorukhina, docent N. Drozhzhyna, winner of the international competition Y. Piskun and others.