On Friday, December 12, at the age of 66, the People's Artist of Ukraine Stepan Higa passed away in Lviv. The life and creative journey of the People's Artist is described by Glavcom.
Childhood
Stepan Higa was born on November 16, 1959, in the Transcarpathian village of Bilky. There were no musicians in the family, and the boy was helped with vocals and playing the bayan by local teacher Mykhailo Kopynets. Despite his talent, Higa could not enroll in music college for a long time, but after the fourth attempt, he succeeded and graduated successfully.
'I sang the program pieces, and then he sat down at the piano and as a choral musician began to check my vocal range. I sang the upper 'la', then 'si-flat', 'si-natural', and he was urging me on with energetic nods of his head: 'Go on, go on!'... Eventually, he raised his hands with the word 'enough!', slowly turned to the examiners and asked: 'Please tell me, have you not accepted this boy three times into the music college? And who studies with you, and who are you after that?!' - Higa recounted.
He began building his music career while still in school, where he led the ensemble 'Green Carpathians' and was a soloist of the group 'Stozhary'. Later, he worked as a soloist with the opera studio of the Kyiv Conservatory.
Creativity
In 1995, Stepan Higa's first solo album 'My Friends' was released. His creativity gained wide recognition, notably the album 'Natalia Street' in 2001, which sold a million copies and brought Higa the status of a Golden Disk holder.
Higa wrote the lyrics to his songs in collaboration with well-known poets and songwriters, which added depth and poetic quality to his creativity. His work was also represented by studio albums that became popular among listeners.
Personal Life
Stepan Higa had two marriages. In the first marriage, a daughter named Kvitoslava was born, and in the second, a son named Stepan Jr. They actively engaged in music together as a family and often performed jointly. The artist also supported his grandson Daniel.
Please note that on November 19, Stepan Higa's team announced an urgent operation for the artist, after which all planned concerts were temporarily canceled.
The Ukrainian people lost an outstanding musician and artist, who not only lifted spirits with his creativity but will also be remembered as a talented personality with a unique voice and warm soul.