Supposedly, Kudrjavchenko made his debut in Odessa as Vasilij in "Tajozhnaja pesna" by Krasotov in 1975 (all
reference works say so), but this is obvious nonsense since Krasotov's opera had its world premiere only in 1977. Anyway, his debut
took place while he was still a student at the Odessa conservatory (he graduated in 1978).
Next, he was a member of the Kirov (Mariinskij) for a short time, from 1980 to 1982 at the Kiev opera theater, and from 1982 onwards
at the Bolshoj, interrupted by a 1986 traineeship at the academy of La Scala, where he studied with Giulietta Simionato.
From 1990 to 1998, he was permanently abroad, and made a good career: La Scala, Bordeaux, Munich, Omaha, Welsh National Opera, and
above all: Covent Garden in London, where he also lived at that time.
After suffering a stroke in 1998, he had to pause for a while; he made his comeback at the Bolshoj in 1999 and continued singing main
roles (even Otello at the Stanislavskij and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater) for two years, then he left the stage and taught singing.
Certainly not the worst tenor of his generation, and that he's so little known is a shame!
Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3
