The dissertation attempts an integral study and systematic analysis of the Ukrainian opera development and vocal performance in the context of European opera culture of the late XIXth – early XXth centuries. The study revealed the sequence of formation and development of professional vocal performance in Ukraine based on the ideas of European vocal techniques, as well as established the paramount importance of creative activity of leading Ukrainian singers (Solomiya Krushelnytska, Modest Menzinsky, Ivan Steshenko, Oleksandr Mishuga) in forming theoretical and practical foundations of European opera and vocal art.The concept of «vocal school» is concretized, which is characterized by context, as any performing school operates in a complex system of socio-communication. It is in this system that «collectivity» and «modeling» as attributes of the creative performing school come to life and become a reality of the creative process. Instead, the vocal-pedagogical school, which is understood as a kind of artistic paradigm, acts as the realization of the collective intentions of its representatives in a single instrument of cognition, the only program, which means the established system of standards. By analyzing the state of opera art in different European countries in the late XIXth and early XXth centuries, it was established that the reform of vocal pedagogy in Italy in the XIXth century is associated primarily with the name of Giuseppe Verdi. The tendencies of Ukrainian professional vocal performance development of the end of XIXth – the beginning of XXth centuries are traced. The author’s periodization of the development of professional vocal performance in Ukraine in the study period. This approach to the development of domestic vocal art has affected the formation of a whole galaxy of world-class Ukrainian opera singers. In this regard, the creative activity of the leading Ukrainian vocal performers S. Krushelnytska, M. Menzinsky, O. Mishuga, I. Steshenko is considered and studied in detail, the characteristic features and peculiarities of their performing skills and manner are noted. The influence and significance of Ukrainian vocal performance on the Ukrainian and European opera development as its important link is established. Thus, Solomiya Krushelnytska’s creative interpretation of the images of the parts she performed ensured the popularization of each work by European composers (R. Wagner, G. Verdi, G. Puccini, R. Strauss). After all, the singer was equally fluent in both Italian and German styles of singing, which at that time was not common. It is summarized that the end of XIXth – beginning of XXth centuries in the development of domestic vocal performance was a stage based on national-identical paradigm, in accordance with contemporary artistic trends, the concept of Ukrainian vocal school was formed. The search for cultural self-identification of famous Ukrainian opera performers (in particular, S. Krushelnytska, M. Menzinsky, O. Mishuga, I. Steshenko) was reflected in the establishment of their national singing tradition.
