“What’s On”. 2002. 19 Sept.

Sveta Ionova.

Music-Lovers Sit Up As Musicians Tune Up

“Kyiv Music Fest’2002” is being dedicated to the memory of its founder, the late Ivan Karabytz — shown here taking a bow following a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra at the 2000 edition of the festival.

One of the highlights of the Kyiv classical-music calendar kicks off Sept.21 with the opening of the 13th edition of the “Kyiv Music Fest”.

The program for the eight-day international festival includes 39 concerts featuring a range of musical styles, from symphonic to chamber, choral, sacred, jazz and more. The focus is on contemporary music from around the globe and Ukraine. Of the more than 300 compositions to be presented, some 60 are premieres.

This year's festival is devoted to the memory of Music Fest-founder Ivan Karabytz, who died late last year.

"It's always challenging to organize a festival, but this year has been more difficult," said Olga Golynska, director of the Music Information Centre at the Union of Ukrainian Composers. "Ivan took much of the work upon himself, and now the organizing committee has had to divide up and take on new responsibilities."

A holder of the title People's Artist of Ukraine, Karabytz was both a composer and professor at the Tchaikovsky Music Academy. Born in Donetsk oblast in 1945, Karabytz studied under such famed composers as Borys Lyatoshinsky and Myroslav Skoryk, and went on to make his own mark on the Ukrainian music scene. His attempts to create original forms of music were best demonstrated through his opera "Kyiv Frescoes," which combined the characteristics of oratorio with several contrasting operatic styles. In recent years Karabytz served as permanent chair of the jury for the Horowitz International Competition for Young Pianists, as well as Ukraine's representative on UNESCO's National Commission of Cultural Affairs.

Karabytz's reputation, and the festival that he developed, has drawn worldwide attention. Among the composers and performers participating in the 2002 “Kyiv Music Fest” are Bailey (USA), Thoresen (Norway), Amann (Austria), Tchaikovsky (Russia), Miller (USA), Savenko (Great Britain) and a number of composers from France and Japan. Arthur Green, an American pianist and University of Michigan professor, will be participating in two concerts and leading one of the master classes being held at the festival. Funded by the Culture Ministry and the Composers Union, classes are open to everyone and are free. So, too, are the performances. Foreign participation is funded in part by participating embassies, including the U.S., French, Finnish and Norwegian.

Golynska said this is the biggest installment of the festival to date — though not by disign.

"The size of the festival is something spontaneous because we simply received so many applications from abroad from people willing to participate — and we couldn't refuse them," she said. "That's why there will usually be several concerts running at the same time at different locations".

The “Music Fest” is also a chance to show off Ukrainian classical music to the world. The work of composers from music schools around the country will be featured.

As for the venues, the number and caliber of the sites reflects on the quality of the music to be played and enjoyed over the festival's eight days. Venues include the National Philharmonic, “Ukraine House”, the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy and the House of Organ and Chamber Music.



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