The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine
The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine has been at the centre of Ukraine’s cultural life and the preeminent symphonic ensemble of that country since its founding in 1995. As the resident symphony orchestra of the National Philharmonia of Ukraine in Kyiv, along with its Principal Conductor, Theodore Kuchar, they are today regarded as one of eastern Europe’s most dynamic and innovative partnerships.
The multiple award-winning conductor Theodore Kuchar is the most recorded conductor of his generation and appears on over 150 compact discs for the Naxos, Brilliant Classics, Ondine, Marco Polo, Toccata Classics and Centaur labels. He presently serves as the Principal Conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine and Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine while having previously served as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the Czech Radio Orchestra), the Slovak Sinfonietta, Orquesta Sinfonica de Venezuela and Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Concert invitations and appearances during the present season have included the Berlin Philharmonic, New York’s Carnegie Hall, London, Birmingham, Chicago and Miami, among others.
As the resident orchestra at the National Philharmonia of Ukraine since its re-opening in 1995 after years of architectural decay and inactivity, today it is a primary force in Ukrainian musical life through year-long programmes of live performances of music ranging from symphonic, choral and operatic to music of the stage and screen, popular and traditional music, new commissions, recordings, broadcasts on Ukrainian National Radio and Television and internationally through the European Broadcasting Union. Schools concerts, family-focused events, initiatives targeting emerging artists and composers, collaborations with partner promoters and organisations extend the orchestra’s reach.
The orchestra has collaborated with distinguished artists from the past and present, including vocalists Luciano Pavarotti and Montserrat Caballé, violinists Gidon Kremer, Salvatore Accardo and Liana Isakadze, cellists Natalya Gutman, Gautier Capuçon and pianists including Paul Badura Skoda, Dmitry Bashkirov, Elisso Virsaladze and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, among others. It has also commissioned and premiered works by renowned contemporary composers, including Giya Kancheli, Krzysztof Penderecki, Myroslav Skoryk, Yevhen Stankovych, and Mikis Theodorakis while popularizing compositions of the most important Ukrainian composers of the recent past and present, including Lyatoshynsky, Sylvestrov, Stankovych, Skoryk.
The National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine has appeared at prestigious festivals including Le Mélomane (France), Saint-Maxime Music Fest (France), La Chaise-Dieu (France), La Côte Saint André H. Berlioz Festival (France), Marseille International Sacred Music Festival (France), Bleckede Fest (Germany), Wroclaw Fest (Poland), and Ukrainian Culture Days in Switzerland (Bern). International tours have taken the orchestra to Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, and China, earning widespread critical acclaim.
