On this day, 29 June 2016, Wassyl Slipak was killed in the village of Luhanske, Bakhmut district, Donetsk region, while performing a combat mission. He was a world-famous Ukrainian opera singer, soloist of the Paris National Opera, and Hero of Ukraine. On the seventh anniversary of the musician’s death, the Lviv Philharmonic holds an open international music marathon W LIVE in his memory.

It is held under the slogan “In the Light of the Meteor” – as you know, celestial bodies burn up when they fall, having gained enormous speed. And the star shines brightest in its last hour: lighting the way for all who are destined to follow it. For all of us, Wassyl Slipak’s contemporaries and supporters of his invaluable contribution to Ukrainian history, his talent will long shine and inspire us to continue our struggle. The figure of the Ukrainian is an example of a desire for free life, endless energy and an outstanding contemporary personality.

With gratitude to our warriors and military medics, we invite them to attend the Marathon events free of charge.

June, 29. About Grief, Greatness and Laughter

The large-scale Fourth Symphony will be performed by the magnificent soprano Inna Fedorii and the Academic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Polish conductor Vincent Kozlowsky. After another creative crisis, the outstanding composer Gustav Mahler created a masterpiece of “colour of the sky blue”, which embodies an incredible depth of reflection on the universe.

June, 30. Prayer to Wassyl

The Phoenix String Quartet will perform works by Oleksandr Kozarenko, Hanna Havrylets and Giya Kancheli. The losses of the war have not spared the music community of Ukraine. It was especially painful with the untimely passing of two artists of incredible talent, Hanna Havrylets and Oleksandr Kozarenko. The compositions will showcase the melodic and rhythmic richness, a vivid folklore system and a contemporary musical language of the Ukrainian composers.

Free admission

July, 1. Songs for Wassyl

Famous chamber musicians from Lviv will present solo chants by the most important composers of the twentieth century and contemporary instrumental music that has already become a symbol of Ukraine in the world: an incredibly poignant paraphrase of our national anthem by Yurii Shevchenko and the brilliant Hutsul Dance by Myroslav Skoryk. In addition, there are the traditional arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs that have been imprinted in the memory of our society and will be preserved through an artistic perspective on them.

July, 2. Spirito d’amore. Mozart.

We invite you to enjoy the depth of sensual musical colours in a kaleidoscope of vocal and instrumental works by Mozart! Soloists and orchestra will perform in a special theatrical performance.