View source for Oleksandr Ponomariov

{{Short description|Ukrainian singer (born 1973)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{update|date=June 2021}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2023}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{otherpeople|Oleksandr Ponomarov}}
{{Family name hatnote|Valeriyovych|[[Ponomariov]]|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name              = Oleksandr Ponomariov
| native_name       = Олекса́ндр Пономарьо́в
| native_name_lang  = ukr
| image             = Ponomarev_oleksandr_2017_nazipov.jpg
| caption           = 
| image_size        = 250
| background        = solo_singer
| birth_name        = Oleksandr Ponomariov
| alias             = 
| birth_place       = 
| birth_date        = {{b-da|9 August 1973}}
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| origin            = [[Khmelnytskyi|Khmelnitskiy]], [[Ukrainian SSR]], [[Soviet Union]]<br/>(now Khmelnytskyi, [[Ukraine]])
| instrument        = 
| genre             = Pop
| occupation        = Vocalist, musician (piano), arranger
| years_active      = 1992–present
| label             = 
| associated_acts   = 
}}

'''Oleksandr Valeriyovych Ponomariov''' ({{langx|uk|Олекса́ндр Вале́рійович Пономарьо́в}}; born 9 August 1973) is a Ukrainian singer. He has been awarded the country's "Singer of the Year" seven times.<ref name=BBC>{{cite web|title=Eurovision Song Contest 2003 Ukraine|website=[[BBC]]|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/eurovision/2003/contestants/ukraine.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040517021835/https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/eurovision/2003/contestants/ukraine.shtml |archive-date=17 May 2004}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Ponomariov was born in [[Khmelnytskyi|Khmelnitskiy]], [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]] (now Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine). One of his early interests was boxing. When his eyesight started to deteriorate he was forbidden to fight by his doctor.<ref name="BBC"/> While he had always enjoyed singing, he never thought that music could be his main occupation. Despite this, he applied to a music college where he encountered one drawback: he could not read music. The college professors accepted him on the basis of his excellent singing voice and allowed him to stay on the condition that he master the school's seven-year curriculum in the space of one year. He apparently succeeded.<ref name="BBC"/>

==Career==
Since 1992, Oleksandr has taken part in dozens of Ukrainian and international festivals. In 1998, Ukraine's government recognized Oleksandr by awarding him the title of "[[Honored Artist of Ukraine]]".<ref name="BBC"/>

Oleksandr, performing "[[Hasta la vista (Oleksandr Ponomariov song)|Hasta la vista]]" was the first artist ever to represent Ukraine in the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2003]]. His performance included a circus act with a [[contortionist]] and an [[Apollo program]] rocket. He finished in 14th place.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eurovision Song Contest 2003|website=Eurovision Song Contest|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/contest-details?event=217|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213235417/http://www.eurovision.tv/page/contest-details?event=217|archive-date=13 February 2008}}</ref>

==Albums==

* ''Z ranku do nochi'' (From Morning Till Night) (1996)
* ''Persha i ostannya lyubov'' (First and Last Love) (1997)
* ''Vin'' (He) (2000)
* ''Vona'' (She) (2001)
* ''Krashche'' (The Best) (2004)
* ''Ya lyublyu tilky tebe'' (Only You I Love) (2006)
* ''Z ranku do nochi'' (From Morning Till Night) (2006)
* ''Persha i ostannya lyubov'' (First and Last Love) (2006)
* ''Golden Hits'' (2007)
* ''Nichenkoyu'' (At Night) (2007)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2003}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponomariov, Oleksandr}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine]]
[[Category:Ukrainian pop singers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Ukrainian tenors]]
[[Category:21st-century Ukrainian  male singers]]
[[Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants]]