Closing of the 162nd concert season

The closing of the 162nd concert season of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine brings together works where personal experience, national memory, and the power of symphonic sound emerge in various musical dimensions. The program combines contemporary Ukrainian music, 20th-century American classics, and the Romantic European tradition—diverse in style, yet united by emotional depth and internal dramaturgy.

The symphonic suite Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Ivan Nebesnyi is based on music from the ballet inspired by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky’s novella. In concert, the work unfolds as a cohesive symphonic drama that brings the world of the Carpathians to life—harsh and beautiful, filled with ancient rituals, natural elements, and human emotion. The fusion of Hutsul intonations with a modern orchestral language gives the music a unique imagery and emotional intensity.

Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto is one of the most poetic yet virtuosic works of 20th-century American music. It is music of rare sincerity and inner light, combining singing lyricism, subtle emotion, and brilliant virtuosity, while the rapid-fire finale strikes with relentless kinetic energy.

Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 was composed during a challenging period of the composer’s life and serves as music of inner triumph. From its solemn and tense opening, through an anxious scherzo and a focused Adagio, the symphony gradually builds toward a bright, life-affirming finale. In this work, Schumann combined Romantic sensibility with grand symphonic integrity, creating music in which personal experience achieves a universal resonance.

Performed by the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine under the baton of Theodore Kuchar, this program concludes the season with a grand and emotionally resonant symphonic evening.