Classical Music and Opera News, Performance Reviews and Interviews in 2009

October 17, 2009

A Symphony of Poetry By Myron Yusypovych

A Symphony of Poetry
A Symphony of Poetry

Myron Yusypovych, a famous Lviv musician and conductor of the S. Krushelnytska National Opera and Ballet Theatre presented his first anthology of poems – Why Bother Picking up a Violin?

…Myron Yusypovych introduced us to the secrets of the art of conducting, spoke about his orchestra tours throughout Europe…

The author explained the title of his anthology Why Bother Picking up a Violin: «Everyone of us should be masters in our profession… If you don't have what it takes to be a musician, you shouldn't pick up a violin.»

Vysokyj Zamok

/Lyudmyla Puliayeva/

October 9, 2009

Lviv Opera House Conductor Myron Yusypovych Presents His Poetry

Lviv Opera House Conductor Myron Yusypovych Presents His Poetry
Lviv Opera House Conductor Myron Yusypovych Presents His Poetry

My most heartfelt wishes for my compatriot from Sambir, a person of the arts, whose soul burns with a steadfast fire of Love, Reverence and Candor…

Keep it up Myron – write and create as only you know how… Keep exposing our children, adults and friends to Ukrainian poetry and music…

ZaxidNet

/Reader Response/

October 8, 2009

Conductor Myron Yusypovych’s Step Toward Literary Heights

Step Toward Literary Heights
Step Toward Literary Heights

… conductor Myron Yusypovych will meet his fans in a new creative entity – not as a musician, but as a poet…

For his debut collection, the poet Myron Yusypovych has chosen poems written in his youth, as well as, more philosophical ones, written as a mature artist. The collection also has poems for children that are illustrated by the artist’s daughter, Sofiyka Yusypovych.

… for those in attendance, fragments from operas conducted by Maestro Yusypovych will be displayed on a large screen. Incidentally, his newest interpretation as conductor-producer of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride aroused active and heated dicussions since the production focuses on totalitarianism and its potential rebirth.

PRO – Cultural Information Agency

October 7, 2009

Three Composers From Zakarpattya Were Featured at the 20th KyivMusikFest

Kyiv-Musik-Fest
Kyiv-Musik-Fest

The Jubilee 20th Festival of Contemporary Classical Music “Kyiv-Musik-Fest-2009” opened last week in the capital.

… performers from the Trans-Carpathian region have participated in about one third of the past KyivMusikFests. Our pioneer was the Zakarpattya Oblast Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra (conductor Myron Yusypovych. 20 years ago, they performed pieces by Ukrainian composers, including a Synfonietta by the well know Zakarpattya composer – Istvan Marton.

There was great interest in this musical composition, particularly among representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora from France, Canada, USA, who had come to Kyiv for the first time and were only beginning to become acquainted with contemporary Ukrainian music – according to Viktor Telychko, head of the Zakarpattya Branch of the National Composers Union of Ukraine.

Zakarpattya Online

October 7, 2009

Lviv Opera Conductor, Myron Yusypovych, Presents His Personal Anthology of Poems

Conductor Presents Anthology of Poems
Conductor Presents Anthology of Poems

The well-known Ukrainian conductor, Myron Yusypovych, has decided to meet his fans not as a musician, but as an author, proposing for their discussion his anthology of poems…

The book of lyrical poetry Why Bother Picking up a Violin?, has been published by the Lviv publishing house «Spolom». In it, Myron Yusypovych presents poetry from his youth, as well as, philosophical musings of an adult artist. The anthology also has poems for children, illustrated by the conductor's daughter, Sofiya Yusypovych…

ZIK /Viktoriya Sadova/

October 6, 2009

Launch of Poetry Anthology by Myron Yusypovych

Launch of Yusypovych Poetry Anthology
Launch of Yusypovych Poetry Anthology

…a rendezvous with the author (readings, music selections, multimedia presentation).

Myron Yusypovych has been engaged as conductor of the Lviv Opera House since 1982. In 2002, he received the honorary title of “Artistic Merit” from Ukraine’s President.

In his conductor’s repertoire, Myron Yusypoych has over 50 operas, operettas and ballets, which he has conducted in over 10 different houses of opera in Ukraine and beyond. He has appeared as conductor with the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg (La traviata, Aida, The Tsar’s Bride, Eugene Onegin), at the Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in St.Petersburg (Gwynplaine by Revas Gabichvadze), as well as in Perm (Russia), Chisinau (Moldova), Odesa (Ukraine), Opole (Poland)

As guest conductor, he has appeared with symphony and chamber orchestras in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands… participated in International Festivals with a wide range of repertoire – from a Baroque program (KWSymphony, Canada, 1997) to contemporary Ukrainian music (KyivMusikFest-1, 1989).

Beginning in 2002, M.Yusypovych has conducted numerous times on some of the most prestigious European stages: the Berliner Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Herkulessaal der Residenz München, Tonhalle Zürich, Congress Center Strassbourg, Tivolis Copenhagen and others…

Bookvoijid

October 5, 2009

Lauch of Poetry Anthology Why Bother Picking up a Violin? by Myron Yusypovych

Launch of Poetry Anthology
Launch of Poetry Anthology

On October 9, at 6:00pm in the Art Coffee House «Apartment 35» (2nd floor of «Dzyga», vul. Virmenska, 35), there will be a book launch of an anthology of poems by Myron Yusypovych Why Bother Picking up a Violin? and rendezvous with the author (readings, music selections, multimedia presentation).

Art Vertep

June 19, 2009

The Tsar's Bride is an Anti-Totalitarian, Not an Anti-Russian Production, Claims Opera Conductor, Myron Yusypovych

The Tsar's Bride is an anti-totalitarian, not an anti-Russian production
The Tsar's Bride is an anti-totalitarian, not an anti-Russian production

«I've lived with the idea of creating this production for a long time… To my mind, there is much in common with the totalitarian regimes of the 20th c. and those of the era of Oprichnina during Ivan the Terrible's time… Present-day totalitarianism (1917, 1937) draws its roots from that time. Oprichnina, as a phenomenon, gave birth to the Cheka, MVD… Although the characters of Ivan VI, Malyuta Skuratov are historical, this opera lends itself well to being produced as a reflection on the 20th c. … such abuse of power was evident during the time of Lenin, Dzerzhynsky, Stalin, Beria…

Malyuta Skuratov, who killed a bishop with his own hands gouging out his eyes and quartering him, who manipulated Ivan the Terrible, who attacked a boyar (noble) whom he had betrayed, took his wife, raped her and then hung her upside down on the door frame, is no different from those who committed atrocities in the 20th c. when people lived in constant fear of being forcibly removed from their homes in the middle of the night. At least, I don't see any differences. On the contrary, the wheel of history repeats itself.

I have been asked whether or not I see this opera as being anti-Russian. No, I don't. For me, it is anti-totalitarian…

My idea was to portray at least three periods on stage: first – 1917, the second act in a Moscow suburb in 1937…. and only the last act would be staged in the original period. For me, it is not the outward visual trappings that are important, but the content…

Totalitarism is capable of rebirth. I see this as a possiblity not only here, but also everywhere….» -- said, the conductor-producer of the Lviv Opera's The Tsar's Bride, Myron Yusypovych.

ZIK /Viktoriya Sadova/

June 18, 2009

Russian Opera Classics Make a Comeback in the Lviv Opera Repetoire

Russian Opera Classics in Lviv
Russian Opera Classics in Lviv

Tonight is the premiere performance of The Tsar's Bride by Rimsky-Korsakov at the Lviv Opera House…

Myron Yusypovych is conductor-producer of the premiere…

..The opera consists of three acts sung in the original Russian with minimal costumes and stage direction. Stage manager – Halyna Volovetska, choirmaster – Vasyl Koval, choreographer – Ihor Khramov, production designer – Tadey Ryndzak, costume designer – Oksana Zinchenko. Soloists are: Oleksandr Hromysh, Vasyl Dudar, Yuriy Trytsetskyy, Lyubov Kachala, Yulia Lysenko, Stepan Tarasovych, Ruslan Ferants, Ihor Nazarov, Svitlana Mamchur, Lyudmyla Savchuk…

The Day #102

June 16, 2009

A Return to the Classics. The Tsar's Bride: A Rendezvous 30 Years Later

A Return to the Classics
A Return to the Classics

For its music lovers, the Lviv National Opera presents the opera The Tsar's Bride by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov as its finale of the 2008-2009 theatre season. The premiere will take place on June 18. The event is extraordinary, if for no other reason than the fact that Russian opera classics have «disappeared» from our theatre for some time now….

«Russian music has contributed greatly to human culture and society», - claims Myron Yusypovych (on photo), premiere production producer and conductor…

The conductor-producer continues his explanation: «Rimsky-Korsakov is the world's top master of orchestration in the use of instrumental colour. His students included among others, the Italian, Ottorino Respighi, who composed the famous orchestral Roman trilogy: Fontane di Roma («Fountains of Rome»), Pini di Roma («Pines of Rome») and Feste Romane («Roman Festivals»)».

According to Myron Yusypovych, The Tsar's Bride is an opera, that adapts well to the abilities of our soloists: «In the opera, several characters are basses, several are sopranos and several are mezzo-sopranos. Everyone is involved in the production. Rimski-Korsakov was well adept at working with orchestras and singers. He was an expert in the natural possibilities of the voice – all the arias are balanced, fully utilizing the registers and inherent abilities of the voice.»

Vysokyj Zamok /Tetiana Kozyreva/

May 23, 2009

In Memory of a Famous Singer

In Memory of  Famous Singer – Ira Malaniuk
In Memory of Famous Singer – Ira Malaniuk

Fifteen years ago… in our Opera House there was a Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating Ira Malaniuk's 75th birthday. She was present… for it was here, in Lviv, that as a young 20 year old, she first made her debut as Amneris, in Verdi's Aida… Then – the War and afterwards, a brilliant carreer as a soloist….

The Gala Concert in memory of Ira Malaniuk is about to begin in the Lviv Philharmonia and we hear Ira Malaniuk's recorded voice … The audience responds warmly to the well-known and lesser-known artists alike…. They enthusiastically applaud the «INSO – Lviv» Symphony Orchestra and the conductor and Artistic Director of the project, Myron Yusypovych.

As we exit the Philharmonia, it is as if the charming Ira Malaniuk herself is in the foyer, escorting the citizens of Lviv out – her portraits and photo scenes from various incredible European performances bid us farewell.

Vysokyj Zamok /Hryhoriy Khramov/

May 18, 2009

The 18th International Music Festival Begins Tomorrow

International Music Festival
International Music Festival

Traditionally, the month of May in Lviv is saturated with musical activity. Since 1981, a yearly large-scale festival takes place, which features well known national and international stars of the classical music world…

This year's festival poster features 5 symbolic portraits – Ludwig van Beethoven… Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy… and the portraits of two famous Ukrainians – the world reknowned opera diva, Ira Malaniuk, who recently passed away in Austria just short of her 90th birthday and Volodymyr Ivasiuk…

A gala concert will take place on May 20 in memory of the prima donna and will include performances by Natalia Datsko, Lyudmyla Savchuk, Stephan Pyatnychko, Oleksandr Hromysh, Roman Trokhymuk, Yana Voytyuk, Vasyl Sadovskyy, Lyubov Dika, Svitlana Monchuk…

As is traditional, «Virtuosi» will also feature a show of conductors, for such famous names as Saulius Sondeckis (Lithuania) and Boguslaw Dawidow (Poland) are expected, alongside our Lviv conductors… , Myron Yusypovych…, who will also be featured.

Subotnia poshta /Lidya Melnyk/

April 8, 2009

The 28th International «Virtuosi» Festival of Music Will Take Place in Lviv in May

International Music Festival
International Music Festival

The organizors of the Festival (The Lviv Oblast Philharmonia) are promising a two week multi-genre program of popular and classical music concerts, as well as encounters with conductors Saulius Sondeckis, Boguslaw Dawidow, Myron Yusypovych

The Gala Concert dedicated to the memory of world famous Ukrainian opera singer Ira Malaniuk will feature the INSO-Lviv Orchestra and opera singers Natalia Datsko, Lyudmyla Savchuk, Stephan Pyatnychko, Oleksandr Hromysh, Roman Trokhymuk, Yana Voytyuk, Vasyl Sadovskyy, Lyubov Dika, Svitlana Monchuk…

ZIK /Viktoriya Sadova/


Contacts