Natalya Popovich (27.02.1945 – 30.03.2018), Chief Choirmaster in 1991–2017. Natalya Popovich is a People's Artist of Russia, a RF State Prize winner, a Holder of the First Degree Dyagilev Order, and Head of the Novaya Opera Artistic Board, Chief choirmaster in 1991–2017.In 1967, when a fourth-year student of the Urals State Conservatory, Natalya Popovich joined the Lunacharsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Sverdlovsk as a choirmaster. Starting from 1973, she worked there the chief choirmaster together with Evgeny Kolobov who was the theatre’s principal conductor. In 1981, Yury Temirkanov offered her the post of chief choirmaster of the Kirov Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Leningrad (now Mariinsky Theatre). There she worked with many opera master such as choirmaster Aleksandr Murin, conductors Yuri Temirkanov, Evgeny Kolobov and Valery Gergiev, director Boris Pokrovsky. In 1988, Natalia Popovich was appointed chief choirmaster of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Academic Musical Theatre in Moscow, where she worked till 1991. Together with the outstanding Russian conductor Evgeny Kolobov, Natalya Popovich was one of the founders of the Novaya Opera Theatre in 1991. Since then she has been the leader of the Novaya Opera choir. The choir's repertoire comprises over 20 operatic works of foreign and Russian composers, a capella sacred music, large-scale cantatas and oratorios. Natalya Popovich as a choirmaster has participated in 15 CD recordings of the Novaya Opera Theatre. She has over 60 Russian and foreign classical operatic and choral compositions in her repertoire.
ProductionsVerdi's Nabucco — Chief and stage choirmaster Verdi's Rigoletto — Chief and stage choirmaster Puccini's La bohème — Chief and Stage Choirmaster Rossini (musical divertissement) — Chief choirmaster Verdi's I Lombardi alla prima crociata — Choirmaster Viva Verdi! (gala concert) — Idea of the concert, chief choirmaster Discography | 
