On his Instagram page, Leonid Shoshyn describes himself as an artist, musician, traveler, art lover, opera singer, soloist, and dancer. In the opera world, he is the resident lead dramatic tenor at the Odesa National Opera in Ukraine. A graduate of the Akademia Operowa at the Polish National Opera, Shoshyn boasts a career marked by numerous international accolades and performances across Europe. This month, he will make his American debut with Gulfshore Opera as Prince Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot.
Steffanie Pearce, Gulfshore Opera’s general director, shares the journey of bringing Shoshyn to the United States, saying that the process, which was initiated last April, “was fraught with uncertainties, including potential embassy shutdowns.” Amid the global pandemic and the subsequent invasion of his homeland, Shoshyn served eight months in active duty defending Ukraine. Despite the challenges, he continued to perform, sharing that during bomb alarms, performers, orchestra members, and the audience would retreat to the basement, often waiting hours before resuming the performance. In his words, “It was a testament to our unwavering commitment to art.” Shoshyn finally received his visa approval in December 2023.
Gulfshore Opera, a regional opera company serving three counties in Southwest Florida, makes opera accessible to the public by staging wide-ranging performance experiences. This grand production, marking the end of Gulfshore Opera’s tenth anniversary season, will take place April 27 at Hayes Hall at Artis—Naples and feature Shoshyn and the Naples Philharmonic. Tickets start at $45.
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