What surprises does the Kyiv Music Fest 2014 have in store?

Over these 11 days, our capital will host 20 concerts, including 4 symphonic, 2 vocal-symphonic, 5 choral, 7 chamber, and a folk orchestra concert, as well as the presentation of multimedia disc The World of Mykola Lysenko and the fusion project “A Step Forward,” which will combine folk, classical, and modern popular music, performed in jazz, rock, folk, and classical styles by leading and most popular musicians.

“Just as our country is now experiencing a troubling time, one of the struggle for the preservation of the integrity of the nation, the importance of cultural values that can consolidate it is higher than ever before. Therefore, the festival focuses on the figure of the freedom-loving Ukrainian genius Taras Shevchenko, whose 200th birth anniversary is now celebrated all over the world,” the press center director of the Kyiv Music Fest Olha Holynska told The Day. “Our audience will be able to listen to seven premieres of large works associated with the name and work of the Bard of Ukraine as well as numerous miniatures. Another dominant theme of the event is sacred music. It will define, in particular, concerts to be held at the National House of Organ and Chamber Music on September 25 and October 2, at the Recording Hall of the National Radio Company of Ukraine on September 30, at St. Michael’s Cathedral on October 4 and 5, the closing ceremony of the festival to be held at the National Philharmonic Society on October 4, and the choral impreza to be held at the Evangelical Lutheran St. Catherine’s Church on October 5. For instance, the opening symphonic concert, to be held at the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine on September 27, will include A Prayer for the Euromaidan, composed by Osvaldas Balakauskas.

All participants of this year’s Fest will join the fundraiser in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the victims of the war in the anti-terrorist operation area, as each concert will see partners of the event, representatives of volunteer organizations “If Not Now, When?” and “People’s Logistics” collecting voluntary contributions from those willing to help.

Our festival will present contemporary musical culture of 14 countries: Austria, Belarus, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine. Overall, over 150 works will be performed, including over 120 by Ukrainian composers from different parts of our country, including Crimea and Donetsk region. The majority of the performances will be premieres, including some world ones.

Musicians of Nordic Saxophone Quartet (Sweden) and singer and actor Rupert Bergmann (Austria) will perform in Kyiv for the first time, and guests from Lithuania, Croatia, Poland, and Belarus are expected as well. Odesa will also send a great art force, including Youth Choir Oriana, folk orchestra and bandurist capella of Odesa Nezhdanova National Music Academy, as well as young Odesite instrumentalists.

Works more or less related to musical theater will make an interesting part of the Fest’s schedule. I mean, first of all, the Vocal Theater of Rupert Bergmann program, which will be performed at the House of Actor on September 28. I think fans of contemporary art will be surprised by exclusive project Performance of the New Music Ensemble Ricochet (they will perform at the Union of Composers’ building on September 29). The music lovers will surely attend the performance of Oleksandr Kostin’s concert opera Dialogs of Vincenzo Galilei, which will be held at the House of Organ and Chamber Music on October 2. Let us recall that admission to all events except special cases mentioned in the program will be free as usual.”