National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
ARTISTS
Founded in 1918, the Kyiv-based National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is Ukraine’s most important symphonic ensemble.
The Kyiv-based National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is Ukraine’s most important symphonic ensemble. Founded in 1918 by decree of Hetman Pavel Skoropadsky, leader of the then Ukrainian State, it has played a very important role in shaping Ukrainian musical culture. Since 1999, the chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine has been Volodymyr Sirenko.
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Source: Olekandr Ivanov
Over the course of its existence, the orchestra has been conducted by such conductors as Yevgeny Mravinsky, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Natan Rachlin, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Igor Ivanov, Kiril Kondrashin, Dimitri Kitajenko, Kurt Sanderling, Leopold Stokowski, Franco Ferrara, Efrem Kurz, Stefan Turchak, Kurt Mazur, Claudio Abbado, Arvid Jansons, Konstantin Simeonov, Volodymyr Kozhukhar, Fedir Hlushchenko, Igor Blazhkov. They contributed to the formation of the artistic face of the ensemble. For 25 years, the head of the orchestra was Natal Rachalin. Outstanding soloists have performed with the ensemble – Emil Gilels, Svyatoslav Richter, Leonid Kogan, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaak Stern, David Oistrakh, Viktor Pikaisen, Victor Tretiakov, Mstislav Rostropovich, Natalia Gurman, Monserat Cabalie, Jose Carreras and many others.
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine took part in the first performances of works by Aram Khachaturian, Borys Lyatoshynsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Giya Kanchelli, Valentin Silvestrov, Yevhen Stankovych. The ensemble still serves today as a creative laboratory for Ukrainian composers, conductors and soloists.
The orchestra has made many recordings throughout its long history, working with record companies such as Melodia, Marco Polo, Analekta, Simax and Naxos. These recordings show the ensemble with excellent qualities both soloist and ensemble. NSOU has toured extensively to France, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Australia, Hong-Kong delighting audiences and receiving enthusiastic reviews.
www.nsou.com.ua