Lviv Virtuosos Academic Chamber Orchestra

Lviv Virtuosos Academic Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1994 and in a short time it became one of the best Ukrainian orchestras, which successfully carries out cultural and educational mission, and a true brand of the ancient Lviv city, its rich cultural tradition and proudly has represented our country in the prestigious concert halls all around the world. “Lviv Virtuosos” distinguishes from other orchestras not only by its performing style – elegant, sonorous, both deeply emotional and carefully thought over. An important prerequisite for the outstanding achievements of the orchestra is also a very interesting performance strategy and concert programs. Highly professional musicians, band members are constantly in the search of original ideas – one evening they represent Lviv musical traditions, the other – novelties in the European music, the third – some forgotten compositions which are included into one program. It is no coincidence that “Lviv Virtuosos” concerts are always performed in the full halls.

The founder, permanent artistic director and producer of the orchestra is Serhiy Burko, Honored Artist of Ukraine, People’s Artist of Ukraine, active musician and organizer of many art projects who is well known both in Ukraine and abroad.

A concertmaster and director is Volodymyr Duda, Honored Artist of Ukraine, musician with a great experience who is a wonderful interpreter of contemporary and classical music, the member of many European orchestras and festivals.

Music consultant of the orchestra is Professor Yuriy Lutsiv, famous conductor, People’s Artist of Ukraine, the laureate of Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine.

The orchestra has given over 1500 concerts and performed with a great success not only in all parts of Ukraine, aiming to educate Ukrainian audience, but also in such countries as Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Belgium, Israel, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, El Salvador, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, of Denmark, Vatican, Italy and Czech Republic.

The orchestra has pioneered many successful art projects such as “Talents of the Third Millennium”, “Music Dynasties Ukraine”, “Guarneri and Stradivarius violins in Lviv”, “New Music in Ukraine”, “Where music lives”, etc. and taken part in a number of Ukrainian and Polish, German, Italian music events and charity concerts.

Lviv Virtuosos Orchestra has recorded more than 25 CDs, among them there are “Anthology of Ukrainian music”, popular music “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Music for All”, “Music for All II», «Music for All III», “Music of the Lviv city”, music of contemporary American composers, recordings with Olga Gerasymenko / bandura, USA /, such Italian musicians as Serhiy Diachenko / conductor / and Maria Diachenko / virtuoso violonist /, the recording “A.Vivaldi. The Four Seasons” with a brilliant violinist Liviu Prunaru / Switzerland / and popular melodies of rock hits ” Do you remember me?” issued in large editions in Ukraine, the USA, Poland and many other countries.

The orchestra often performs with a lot of soloists (singers, instrumentalists), conductors and composers from Poland, Austria, USA, Germany, Lithuania, Switzerland, Turkey, Finland, Israel and Italy. Among them there are Olga Oliynyk / bandura, USA /, Joseph Pilberi / conductor, England /, Yuriy Oliynyk / composer, USA /, Sergiy Dyachenko / conductor, Italy /, Saulius Sondeckis / conductor, Lithuania /, Robert Canetti / conductor, Israel /, Jerzy Maksymiuk / conductor, Poland /, Czeslaw Grabowski / conductor, Poland /, Teresa Żylis-Gara / soprano, Monaco /, Vadim Brodsky / violin, Poland /, Artur Jaron / piano, Poland /, Astrid Frohlich / flute, Austria /, Leo Witoszynskyj / guitar, Austria /, Nikolay Sachenko / violin, Russia /, Maria Tchaikovska / cello, Russia /, Natalia Stolyarska / violin, Poland / and Liviu Prunaru / violin, Switzerland /. The orchestra carries out its honorable mission – to develop the national traditions of Ukrainian music and integrate Ukrainian culture into the world of music.

The orchestra has closely collaborated with many prominent personalities, including Saulius Sondeckis. “I am honored to perform with such orchestra is Paris, London and Berlin”, said the world-famous conductor Saulius Sondeckis about Lviv Virtuosos Academic Chamber Orchestra. “I am sure that everywhere it will be a real success and will manage to promote good Ukrainian music. And I want to congratulate Lvivites with the birth of a new talented band”.

/ Newspaper “Vysoky Zamok” / Ukraine /

The orchestra has already acquired the highest professional level that is recorded in more than 150 positive reviews of Ukrainian and foreign music critics. Here are just some of them:

“Lviv Virtuosos”, indeed, proved that their skills, fine musical taste, intelligence are at the highest level … It should be noted that this orchestra is highly emotional, with the original style of performance”

/ Newspaper “Culture and Life” / Ukraine /

“Delicate, full of elegance and unique charm of Serhiy Burko’s conductorship was in perfect harmony with the presented music and emphasized the perfect musical skills of the orchestra”.

/ Newspaper “Ruch Muzyczny” / Poland /

“Every musician who plays in the orchestra has the right to be called a virtuoso artist, the “artist of the highest level.”

/ Newspaper “Słowo Polskie” / Poland /

“The concert has surpassed even our expectations. The audience was excited and fascinated by these outstanding musicians from the first moment and at the end it rewarded their outstanding performance by long and tumultuous applause. Performing Britten and Shostakovich the orchestra showed, in particular, its ability to accompany soloists, while, playing Mozart – its own virtuosity and great musical and technical skills.

We were deeply impressed by the extraordinary musicality and high technical proficiency of the orchestra and its principal conductor Serhiy Burko. We were equally impressed by the great scrupulousness and a thorough working out of the smallest details in their work. Mr. Burko is, of course, an outstanding artistic personality who is able to lead the orchestra in a totally confident and charming manner.”

/ Newspaper “Wettingen Chamber Concerts” / Switzerland /

“Lviv Virtuosos” concert tours have become important cultural events that promote Ukrainian art in the South America and introduce the public the best cultural achievements of Ukraine. It is impossible to overestimate the great importance of these cultural events that imrove relations with the countries of South America and create positive image in this region.”

/ from the letter of O.Lyashenko, the Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine in Peru/.