Our History
The National Philharmonic of Ukraine is one of the country’s leading musical centers, now celebrating its162nd concert season. Today, it functions as a modern institution that embraces a wide range of genres and approaches, while remaining deeply connected to tradition.
Pride and joy of the Philharmonic is the Mykola Lysenko Concert Hall, celebrated for having the finest acoustics in Kyiv. This hall has become a place where audiences experience music at its most powerful and inspiring.
Concert life in Kyiv started to flourish in the mid-19th century. Local musicians performed alongside international touring artists, and different communities played an active role in organising events. The Polish community, for example, invited Franz Liszt to perform during the Contract Fair in 1847.
Ukrainians also created musical societies, often relying on donations and private funding. Because of this, concerts were irregular, but the passion for music was strong. A turning point came in 1863 with the establishment of the Kyiv branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society. With state support, concerts became a regular part of cultural life, marking the true beginning of Kyiv’s philharmonic tradition.
The Kyiv branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, which operated until 1917, was established through the efforts of V. Vilinsky, R. Pfenig, P. Seletsky, M. Rigelman, L. Albrecht, and A. Kazbiriuk. It quickly became a centre of musical life in the city, attracting many of Kyiv’s most prominent cultural figures. One of the most influential was Oleksandr Vynohradsky, who served as chairman from 1888 to 1912. Widely recognised across Europe as a distinctive conductor, he led the symphony orchestra from 1889 and ensured that symphonic concerts became a regular and cherished part of Kyiv’s cultural calendar.
The development of Kyiv’s philharmonic tradition is also inseparable from Mykola Lysenko. In the 1860s, he helped create the Philharmonic Society of Music and Singing Enthusiasts, a circle dedicated to cultural and artistic growth. From 1872 to 1874, he served on the Board of Directors of the Kyiv IRMS branch and performed as a soloist, but his strong national orientation eventually led to conflict and his departure. Afterwards, Lysenko pursued his vision through other institutions: first, the Boyan Philharmonic Society, then the Music Section of the Kyiv Literary and Artistic Society, and later the Ukrainian Club. These organisations, each shaped by his active involvement at different times, provided the basis for the rise of Ukrainian cultural identity and the flourishing of musical life in Kyiv.
In 1882, a new building for the Merchants’ Assembly was opened at 2 Oleksandrivsky Uzviz (now Volodymyrskyi Uzviz) in Kyiv. Designed by Volodymyr Nikolaiev, father of the renowned pianist and teacher Leonid Nikolaiev, the building quickly became a landmark of the city’s cultural life. Nikolaiev was not only an accomplished architect but also a member of the board of the Kyiv branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society. His deep knowledge of music and acoustics shaped the hall’s design, enhanced by resonating columns that gave the space its remarkable sound quality.
After the Merchants’ Assembly opened, Mykola Lysenko organised “Sunday Quartet Gatherings” there, along with performances by the choir he had founded and his own piano recitals.
At the beginning of the 20th century, composer Reinhold Glière regularly conducted in Kyiv. Under his baton, audiences heard symphonic works by Claude Debussy, César Franck, Édouard Lalo, and Camille Saint-Saëns, as well as compositions by Kyiv-based composers such as Yevhen Ryb, Mykola Tutkovsky, and Volodymyr Pukhalsky.
In 1903, the hall of the Merchants’ Assembly hosted the celebration of Mykola Lysenko’s jubilee. (In 1962, the Column Hall was named in his honour) Lysenko’s friends collected a substantial sum as a gift, but instead of purchasing a home for his family, the composer devoted the funds to founding a Ukrainian music and drama school.
In 1914, in the same building, the IRMS Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Reinhold Glière, performed the interlude to Act IV of Mykola Lysenko’s opera Taras Bulba.
On December 29, 1916, during a Christmas concert at the Merchants’ Assembly Hall, the student choir of Saint Volodymyr University in Kyiv, conducted by Oleksandr Koshyts, gave the first performance of Mykola Leontovych’s Shchedryk. This event marked the beginning of the triumphant journey of what would become Ukraine’s musical hallmark, later transformed into the world‑famous Christmas classic Carol of the Bells.
In April 1917, the great hall of the Merchants’ Assembly (now the Mykola Lysenko Column Hall) hosted the All‑Ukrainian National Congress. At this gathering, the Ukrainian Central Rada evolved from a Kyiv‑based organisation into a legitimate all‑Ukrainian governing body. The congress was attended by leading Ukrainian cultural and public figures, including Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Fedir Kryzhanivsky, Serhii Yefremov, Illia Shrag, Petro Stebnytsky, Dmytro Doroshenko, Modest Levytsky, Liudmyla Starytska‑Cherniakhivska, Stepan Erastov, and Yevhen Chykalenko. Over the course of three days, more than 300 public speeches were delivered.
In 1921, the Mykola Leontovych Society was founded. One of its principal aims was to organise concerts featuring the music of both Ukrainian and Western composers. However, limited financial resources compelled the Society to concentrate primarily on chamber and choral performances.
In 1923, the Society’s magazine Muzyka announced the official opening of the newly established Kyiv State Philharmonic on March 26, marked by a performance of the symphony orchestra under the direction of Lev Steinberg. That orchestra would later become the State Symphony Orchestra of the Ukrainian SSR, known today as the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
It is noteworthy that in early 1923, while the Leontovych Society was giving a concert in honour of the Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko, delayed by several months due to financial difficulties, the newly established State Philharmonic was preparing a concert to mark the anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff. In this way, the state – whether the Russian Empire or later the USSR – actively promoted the spread of Russian music in Ukraine through classical concerts. The Kyiv State Philharmonic, however, proved short‑lived: by the end of the year, it was closed “with a colossal deficit.
From the early 1920s, the premises of the former Merchants’ Assembly were known as the Proletarian House of Arts, and later as the House of Political Education or the Bilshovyk Club. Music was occasionally heard in this space, thanks to visiting artists from abroad and Ukrainian performers. In 1934, the State Philharmonic, which had been based in Kharkiv since the mid‑1920s, relocated to this building in Kyiv.
During the German occupation, the former Merchants’ Assembly building was used as a German officers’ club. After the war, due to its favourable acoustics, the Philharmonic returned to the building and concert activities soon resumed.
Over the years, the artistic direction of the Philharmonic was overseen by Borys Lyatoshynsky, Kostiantyn Ognevyi, Mykola Kondratiuk, and Serhii Kozak.
Since 1975, the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra has been part of the Philharmonic, initially under the direction of Ihor Blazhkov. Over the years, it has been led by several distinguished conductors, including its founder Anton Sharoev, Arkadii Vinokurov, and Mykola Diadiura. For twenty‑six years, Roman Kofman served as the orchestra’s principal conductor. Today, the ensemble is directed by Natalia Ponomarchuk.
As a result of the 1988 accident, the basements, storerooms, and dressing rooms of the National Philharmonic were flooded, causing severe damage to priceless archives and one of Kyiv’s finest music libraries, which housed original manuscripts by composers.
In 1992, Dmytro Ostapenko was appointed Director General and Artistic Director of the National Philharmonic. As a result of his efforts, restoration work began and was successfully completed on 1 December 1996. During Ostapenko’s tenure, in 1994, the Philharmonic was granted national status. From 1996 to 1999, Volodymyr Lukashev held the position of Director General and Artistic Director.
As the Philharmonic’s activities expanded in the 1990s, it became clear that it needed its own symphony orchestra. In 1995, at the initiative of Dmytro Ostapenko, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine was established. The orchestra was first conducted by L. Tykhonov, followed in 1996 by Mykola Diadiura. Roman Kofman served as principal conductor from 2012, and Diadiura returned to the role between 2019 and 2025. The orchestra is now led by Theodore Kuchar.
The National Philharmonic of Ukraine continues to perform in the historic building of the Merchants’ Assembly in Kyiv. Each concert season offers audiences the opportunity to hear classical music performed by leading Ukrainian and international soloists, conductors, and ensembles.
Over the years, the Philharmonic has brought together many outstanding artists, including Diana Petrynenko, Larysa Ostapenko, Neonila Kriukova, Eleonora Bezano-Piradova, Mykola Rizol, and Valeriy Buimister. The stage of the Mykola Lysenko Column Hall has hosted legendary performers such as Borys Hmyria, Yevheniya Miroshnychenko, Anatoliy Solovianenko, Anatoliy Kocherha, Dmytro Hnatiuk, Maria Stefiuk, Bohodar Kotorovych, Liudmyla Monastyrska, David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Richter, Gustav and Heinrich Neuhaus, Vladimir Horowitz, Ivan Kozlovsky, Natan Rakhlin, Leonid Kogan, and Olga Pasichnyk.
Throughout its history, the Philharmonic has welcomed world‑renowned figures in classical music, among them Franz Liszt, Leonard Bernstein, Titta Ruffo, Van Cliburn, Emil Gilels, the Kremerata Baltica under Gidon Kremer, Kurt Masur, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Giya Kancheli.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Philharmonic has undergone important changes. In December of that year, Mykhailo Shved was appointed Director General. Under his leadership, the Philharmonic has reshaped its artistic direction. Beginning with the 2023/2024 season, Russian repertoire was completely removed from the programs, while the proportion of Ukrainian music increased significantly, from 12% to 25%.
New festivals have also been introduced, including Kyiv Spring Sound, Kyiv Baroque Fest, Liatoshynsky Space, and Soundtrack: Ukraine, a festival of Ukrainian film music.
Ukrainian music is increasingly seen as part of the wider global cultural landscape rather than solely a national tradition. At the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, it continues to sound alive and relevant, engaging audiences with depth and meaning.