Distinctly Ukrainian flavor inspires at ‘Symphonic’ recital

PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Susan Smith, Indian River Symphonic Association board president, welcomed top IRSA donors to an exceptional piano recital featuring Ukrainian-born American Stanislav Khristenko, who was the soloist the next evening with the full Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Theodore Kuchar. The IRSA performance was the very first concert of the esteemed orchestra’s 40-city North American tour.

“Special appreciation goes to Jayne and Paul Becker, who when we asked them if they would allow us to do this in their home, graciously said, ‘Of course.’ They’ve just been wonderful, wonderful hosts,” said Smith, also thanking IRSA board members Michele Witt and Lois Conway for their assistance.

IRSA concert producer Chris Kitts introduced the multiple award-winning Khristenko, who has performed with major U.S. and international orchestras.

Khristenko, who holds dual Ukrainian and American citizenships, spoke briefly about the composers in his program, which included works by Frederic Chopin, Karol Szymanowski, Borys Lyatoshinsky, Sergey Prokofiev, Valentin Silvestrov and Vladimir Horowitz.

“Some of the composers who are well-known names everywhere in the world, turn out to be from Ukraine, which no one knew,” said Khristenko.

Szymanowski, considered one of Poland’s greatest composers, was actually born and spent his early life in Tymoszówka, located today in central Ukraine.

Lyatoshinsky, a romanticist composer, lived his whole life in Kyiv and taught many great contemporary composers at Kyiv University. Khristenko played a Prelude from Shevchenko Suite (1942), based on an excerpt from a poem by Ukraine’s most famous poet, Taras Shevchenko.

Khristenko said almost every city in Ukraine has a monument to Shevchenko, although they are currently all covered with sandbags to protect them from Russian bombings.

One of Ukraine’s major airports was named after Prokofiev, who was born just outside of Donetsk, where Khristenko entered his first piano competition at age 9.

“Near that village, there’s a little town called New York. Now in the news in Russia they say that they are bombing New York,” said Khristenko.

In 2014, he said, the Donetsk Sergei Prokofiev International Airport was completely destroyed during the ongoing war with Russia in the Donbas region of Ukraine and is now just ruins.

Silvestrov, born in Kyiv, is a leading contemporary composer and a former student of Lyatoshinsky. Known as an avantgarde composer in the 1960s, he developed his own simple, melodic style in the 1980s.

Horowitz, born in Kyiv, played his first U.S. concert at Carnegie Hall in 1928, later became an American citizen and was frequently invited to play at the White House.

Asked about the logistical challenges of having orchestra members travel out of the country, given that there are currently no flights out of Ukraine, Khristenko said Lviv is close to the border, so the musicians took a bus to Warsaw and flew from there.

At the conclusion of the recital, Lois Conway noted that IRSA was founded 30 years ago to enrich the lives of a broad audience and enhance the cultural landscape of the community by hosting renowned national and international orchestras.

“I want to particularly thank you for the role that you have played in making this possible. You’ve been very, very generous to our organization, and it means so much,” said Conway. Upcoming Performances in the 2023 IRSA season:

Feb. 5: Brevard Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert

Feb. 16: Philadelphia Orchestra

March 24: Palm Beach Symphony

March 28: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

April 16: Brevard Symphony Orchestra

Performances all begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Church of Vero Beach. For more information, visit IRSymphonic.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis

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