Iryna Fedyshyn is a Ukrainian singer, who is often called the Primadonna of Galicia and the voice of Western Ukraine. She is not only known for her talent, but also gathers huge halls throughout the country, competing with top artists.
Life path
Iryna was born on February 1, 1987 in Lviv, where she spent her childhood and youth. This city became not only her native city, but also the main place of her creative development.
Family
Iryna grew up in a family with creative roots. Her father, although he worked as an engineer, was also a musician and had his own ensemble. Her mother devoted her life to the cultural sphere. Iryna’s grandfather, Professor Yaroslav Fedyshyn, taught physics and mathematics at the Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology.
The singer’s second cousin, Roman Fedyshyn, is an influential person in Western Ukraine. He founded the Shuvar market, one of the largest agricultural markets in the region, and was repeatedly elected as a deputy of the Lviv City Council.
Personal life
Iryna has been married to Vitaliy Chovnyk, a producer, TV presenter, and singer, for over 15 years. Their wedding took place in Lviv, attended by 120 guests. The couple has two sons, Yuriy, who was born in 2011, and Oleg, who was born in 2015. Yuriy is interested in programming, but at the insistence of his grandfather, he also attends a music school. Together with his sons, Iryna recorded the composition “Brother”.
Education
Although music accompanied Iryna from childhood, her formal education was economic. She graduated from music school externally, immediately entering the 4th grade, and then entered the Faculty of Economics of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. At the same time, she studied vocals and music in private lessons.
Career
Since childhood, Iryna dreamed of the stage, although her family did not consider music a serious profession. Her father wanted to see her as a chess player, but she convinced him to buy him a synthesizer. Already in 2005, she reached the semi-finals of the Ukrainian selection for Eurovision.
Iryna wrote her first song “Before the Image of Christ” while still in music school. She independently creates music and lyrics for her songs. Until 2006, she was part of the “Lira” group, after which she began a solo career.
Her tracks quickly won the hearts of listeners. The hits “Kalina”, “Hearts Are Knocking” and “How I Love You” became popular without expensive advertising campaigns. The album “Your Angel” (2007) became her debut work, and a few months later she released “Ukraine Carols”. In total, she has four studio albums, and her videos have garnered millions of views on YouTube.
Popularity and creativity
Iryna organically combines modern music with Ukrainian folklore. Her concerts are always large-scale shows with ballet and bright productions. She is most loved in Western Ukraine, but the artist’s popularity has long gone beyond the region. She performs for the Ukrainian diaspora in Italy, Poland, and Canada.
Television projects
In 2018, Iryna took part in the show “Voice of the Country”, where her song “Dolonki” made all the coaches return. She chose Jamala’s team, but left the project after the second stage. In 2021, Iryna appeared in the show “Mask”, where she performed as Pava, but did not reach the final.
Scandals and compromising materials
Iryna categorically refuses to perform songs in Russian, even if it would bring her more income. In 2019, she was repeatedly invited to perform in Russia, but she refused, emphasizing that the language is of fundamental importance to her.
As for everyday moments, the singer has repeatedly shown on social networks how she helps her mother plant and harvest potatoes. However, some accused her of this being more of a PR stunt than real help.
In 2019, Iryna participated in the Golden Firebird contest with the song “Roman”, where she was accused of vote-rigging. Vitaliy Chovnyk denied these accusations, calling them an attempt by competitors to ruin the singer‘s reputation.
Also in 2020, her song “Yak ya tebe lyublyu” was compared to Alina Grosu’s song “Mama”. Both tracks were written by Ruslan Kvinta, and the similarity in the chorus caused a lot of discussion. However, Iryna stated that plagiarism still needs to be proven.
Financial success
Together with her husband, Iryna was able to achieve financial stability. At the beginning of their acquaintance, Vitaliy had only $ 2,000 to invest in his wife’s career. Now she performs at numerous concerts, giving more than 100 performances a year. Despite her popularity, her fees remain affordable compared to other stars.
Iryna Fedyshyn continues to create, popularizing Ukrainian culture and delighting her fans with new songs and concerts.