Music Salon of Vasyl Barvinskyi

In Memory of Vasyl Barvinskyi

Artists:

• Nataliia Stepaniak, soprano
• Kateryna Shalaiska, violin
• Modest Mentsinskyi, cello
• Oksana Rapita, piano
• Mariia Fedyna, piano
• Maksym Sasko, piano

Program:

Vasyl Barvinskyi. 
Cycle of Five Preludes for Piano (1908)
“Oh Moon, My Prince” – lyrics by Ivan Franko (1923)
“Evening in the House” – lyrics by Bohdan Lepky (1910)
“Oh Sad, Sad Dark Night” – lyrics by Yakiv Holovatsky (1923)
Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano in A minor (1910)

• Andante sentimentale. Allegro energico
• Andante
• Allegro giocoso (Alla Kolomyika)

During times of war, we understand more than ever the importance of preserving our history and art.

Lviv, a city of great artists and rich cultural traditions, has always been the musical heart of Galicia. It was here that Vasyl Barvinsky — one of Lviv’s most distinguished composers — lived and worked. His life was filled with success and inspiration, yet a cruel twist of fate silenced his voice: decades in Soviet labor camps and the destruction of his manuscripts by the regime.

Barvinsky’s story has always moved and inspired me, which is why I strive to bring his music not only to Europe — where I have already recorded albums of his works — but also back to Lviv, where, in my opinion, his music is still not performed often enough.

Today, we must dedicate ourselves fully to ensuring that Ukrainian music is heard and rightfully occupies its place in cultural life. That is why I am initiating the concert series “Barvinsky Invites,” where Barvinsky’s music will be the central element of every program. Musicians will have the opportunity to include works by other composers, provided they find a connection to Barvinsky’s life or legacy, thus forming a unique artistic concept. An essential component will also be conversations about his life, major events in the city’s history, his contemporaries, and more.

— Violina Petrychenko

The beginning of June holds the memory of one of the leading artists of 20th-century Galicia — composer, pianist, professor, and intellectual Vasyl Barvinsky, whose life tragically ended on June 9, 1963. After surviving the terror of repression and returning to his native Lviv from exile in Mordovia, the composer spent his final days reconstructing the scores destroyed by the Soviet regime — scores he had held in his memory throughout his torment.

Yet Barvinsky’s return to Lviv was more than a return to music — it was a return to life and love. He could finally speak his native language with his soulmate, wife, and muse — Natalia Puluj. After his death, it was she who continued the work of restoring and preserving his legacy, defying despair and nurturing inner strength.

Natalia Puluj had the courage — even upon first hearing of Barvinsky’s failing health — to preserve the creative spirit of their home. Just as she had done for decades, she gathered the composer’s friends and colleagues — not to say goodbye, but to remain united: stronger than the regime, stronger than despair, stronger than the fleeting time that had passed.

On this memorial evening, Barvinsky’s music will once again sound in the intimate company of young Lviv musicians from different generations — teachers and students, colleagues and artists — united by a shared idea: to cultivate Ukrainian names and build the foundation of the future on the priceless legacy left to us by those before.

Joining the “Barvinsky’s Musical Salon” will be renowned interpreter of the composer’s music, Professor Oksana Rapita, internationally acclaimed soprano Nataliia Stepanyak, whose voice will be beautifully supported by pianist Maksym Sasko, as well as performers deeply engaged in the study and promotion of 20th-century music: Kateryna Shalaiska, Modest Mentsinskyi, and Mariia Fedyna.

Also present — through song and poetry — will be the voices of those who resonated with Barvinsky: Ivan Franko, Bohdan Lepky, Yakiv Holovatsky, whose verses will echo in the composer’s vocal works. Set against this historical backdrop, the instrumental pieces from Barvinsky’s Prague period will sound with particular poignancy.

A time when life, like the lushest summer grove, blossomed with dreams, love, and possibilities — this will be captured in the Five Piano Preludes and the Trio in A minor for violin, cello, and piano. This evening, music will be interwoven with words, memories, and reflections; youth with experience; the past with the future — a future we can only create by remembering our artists and inspirers.